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With the Chinese economy facing massive challenges, there have been concerns over its growth potential, at least in the immediate future.

Yet a key exception is emerging in the form of domestic tourism.

Last week’s five-day public holiday to mark labour day saw 295 million trips made within China, according to figures from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. This was 28% higher than pre-pandemic figures recorded in 2019.

The Transport Ministry’s figures are also staggering: 92 million rail trips; almost 10 million air trips and 1.25 billion highway journeys.

However, this comes as international arrivals continue to lag, with foreigners currently entering China at barely 30% of 2019 levels. Why the disparity?

The beautiful historical river town of Wuzhen, a short drive from Shanghai, is considered one of China’s top visitor sites for travellers of all types. When we arrive the little pathways and old bridges which cross narrow waterways are filled with visitors.

A popular thing to do in Wuzhen is to pose for photos dressed in traditional hanfu clothing – as if you have really been transported back hundreds of years.

Two women in their 20s, friends since high school, are visiting from Jilin Province in the north east. After arriving, they spend an hour getting their hair done in an elaborate imperial-era style – and they are full of praise for Wuzhen’s classical beauty.

We ask if, following the post-Covid opening up, many of their family and other friends have been travelling much? “Of course, after the pandemic, we’re all visiting other places.”

Nearby a local man who is selling ice-creams also says tourist numbers are “not that bad lately”.

As good as before Covid? “Almost the same,” he replies.

Shopkeeper Wang Ying, who sells traditional snacks, echoes this sentiment with a big smile on her face. “Business is going well, and it’ll only get better.”

All this will be seen as good news for the Chinese government. It’s been saying that a push on domestic consumption can counter the significant faltering portions of the economy.

Major players in the once-mighty property sector are struggling to stay afloat, local government debt continues to rise, and persistent youth unemployment has left highly qualified university graduates uncertain of their future.

Amid all these challenges, the Communist Party has set a target of “around 5%” GDP growth for this year. Apart from the fact that analysts have long questioned the veracity of the country’s official growth figures, economists are also asking how such a target can be reached, in any genuine sense, in 2024 without significant extra stimulus.

One lifeline could be a more buoyant travel scene which could bring broader business opportunities and greater service industry employment.

Schubert Lou, chief operating officer at travel agency Trip.com, told the BBC: “We’ve seen very strong domestic travel demand with search volumes in hotels up 67% compared to last year, and flight volumes up 80%.”

Tourism industry consultant Peng Han from Travel Daily is following the investment trail to see how the business community really views the possibilities in the sector.

“With famous international hotel brands – like Intercontinental, Marriott and Hilton – you just have to look at their growth in China in 2023,” he says. “Then check the performance goals for these large hotel groups in 2024 which have also been set relatively high. This shows that they are very optimistic about the growth potential of the Chinese market.”

But, while the volume of local travellers might be up, Mr Peng does point to the problem of per capita consumption which remains persistently low.

He says general uncertainty about the Chinese economy is putting more emphasis on saving, so people are looking for good value options. They are going on holidays and paying for things but doing so much more frugally.

This is where an increase in big-spending foreigners could help. But they are simply not travelling to China in the numbers they used to.

In 2019, nearly 98 million international visitors came to the country. Last year it was only 35 million – including business trips, students and the like. Mr Lou describes the domestic versus international market as “uneven”.

For many in the tourism industry here specialising in services for foreign travellers, “uneven” would be an understatement. Three years of harsh Covid prevention measures drove down arrivals from other countries, but that alone can’t account for the current situation.

Huang Songshan, the head of the Centre for Tourism Research in the School of Business and Law at Australia’s Edith Cowan University, blames this weakness in part to “the shifting geopolitical landscape globally”.

In the peer-reviewed East Asia Forum, he pointed to a 2023 survey carried out by the Pew Research Centre, writing that, “Most individuals in Western nations hold unfavourable views towards China. The Chinese government’s tightening grip on societal regulations could potentially cause discomfort for foreign travellers in China.”

Official travel advice from some governments echo this sentiment, at times quite harshly.

Washington warns potential travellers to “reconsider travel to Mainland China due to the arbitrary enforcement of local laws, including in relation to exit bans, and the risk of wrongful detentions”.

Australia advises “a high degree of caution” warning that “Australians may be at risk of arbitrary detention or harsh enforcement of local laws, including broadly defined National Security Laws”.

The political environment has also taken a toll on flight availability and price. This is especially the case with connections to and from North America. Last month’s 332 scheduled round trips between China and the US contrasts with 1,506 in April 2019.

As a result, finding a seat on a direct flight can be extremely difficult and those that are available are very expensive.

President Xi Jinping made a speech at a dinner on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference in San Francisco last November addressing this point. “Today, President Biden and I reached important consensus,” he told the crowd.

“Our two countries will roll out more measures to facilitate travels and promote people-to-people exchanges, including increasing direct passenger flights, holding a high-level dialogue on tourism, and streamlining visa application procedures. We hope that our two peoples will make more visits, contacts and exchanges and write new stories of friendship in the new era.”

Washington has since increased the number of Chinese airline flights permitted to land – but only from 35 per week to 50. It is still well short of the 150 weekly trips pre-Covid.

The Biden administration is coming under pressure from unions and US airlines to not increase this any further because, they argue, Chinese airlines have an unfair advantage over them as they have state support; don’t face the same onerous Chinese regulations; and, crucially, can fly over Russian airspace, making trips shorter and cheaper.

A letter to the US government from the Chair of the House Committee on China, Mike Gallagher, and the committee’s top Democrat representative, Raja Krishnamoorthi, reads: “Should the US-China passenger carrier market expand without the US government addressing these significant issues, US aviation workers, travellers and airlines will pay a hefty price tag.”

Mr Lou says the frequency of international flight connections is definitely having an impact.

“What we are seeing right now, based on civil aviation data, is that inbound flight capacity won’t get back to even 80% of 2019 [levels] by the end of 2024.”

Then there are other potential turnoffs for those considering travelling in China, like the country’s state-of-the-art phone app payment and booking systems which work very smoothly for Chinese citizens and residents, but which can be an enormous headache if you have just arrived.

There are certain sites, transport options, and purchases which can only be accessed via Chinese electronic apps which are, at times, only available in Chinese.

Professor Chen Yong at Switzerland’s EHL Hospitality Business School is an authority on the economics of tourism in China. He thinks that hurdles relating to payment and booking apps can pose a real problem.

“Technologies such as social network websites, online maps, payment apps, among others, which foreigners have long been accustomed to using, are either unavailable or inaccessible when they travel to China,” he says.

“On the other hand, there are Chinese alternatives to these technologies that remain inaccessible to foreigners due to language barriers and differences in user habits. We need to bridge this divide because it affects the tourist industry badly.”

Back in Wuzhen, the presence of international travellers is much smaller than in years gone by, but there are still a few foreign faces in the crowd.

An Italian couple says the process of linking up to and using China’s payment apps was a challenge but that it was not insurmountable, though they add, with a laugh, that it is “much, much, much easier” if you have a Chinese friend to help you.

Eliseo, from California, says he has had problems making payments to small vendors who don’t accept credit cards and really no longer deal with cash. Another hurdle for him has been his bank at home which has blocked some payments, flagging them as potentially fraudulent coming from China.

Chinese officials have acknowledged that the foreign traveller numbers have been low but they are now trying to turn this around.

One way they’re attempting to attract more foreign visitors is by increasing the number of countries whose citizens don’t need a visa to enter. Trip.com says this resulted in an almost immediate increase in passenger arrivals from Southeast Asia.

In 23 Chinese cities, transit passengers from more than 50 countries are also able to stay for a few days visa free if they have an onward ticket. In Shanghai, hotels above a three-star level have been told that they should prepare to deal with international credit cards and an initial batch of 50 taxis have also started accepting them.

However, Professor Chen says “it would be too optimistic to envision a long-term growth in China’s inbound tourism”.

“The key is to establish a culture that puts service providers in the shoes of foreign tourists. They should imagine themselves being a foreigner who can’t speak or read Chinese and who doesn’t have a Chinese mobile number, payments apps and so on.”

He says that the culture around this can’t be changed overnight.

Yet, in places like Wuzhen – where the local travellers have already returned – the tourism companies are hoping that incredible sites like theirs will eventually be too much for foreigners to resist as well.

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BBCInfluencers like Ranting Gola (left) and Sham Sharma are using their social media presence to promote political parties

Just weeks before the first ballot was cast in this year’s Indian election, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was at an event in Delhi rubbing shoulders with people known by names like BeerBiceps and Curly Tales.

The event – an awards show, congratulating some of the country’s top social media stars on their work – was an acknowledgement of the power of the influencer which a few years ago may have seemed unimaginable.

And as politicians prepared to battle it out for India’s billion votes, these influencers were being lined up to play a crucial role in reaching the young, the disinterested and the disillusioned.

But even as some celebrate social media’s democratisation of the media – a place where any one can share their views freely – others paint a darker picture, one where threats are rife, and the truth can be set aside for the right pay cheque.

A decade ago, you would have struggled to find anyone calling themselves an “influencer”.

But now, says Vinay Deshpande, co-founder of Rajneethi, a political management consultant firm, “it’s become a profession”.

“I know teenagers who are doing this part-time to earn pocket money.”

Pocket money underplays the earning potential somewhat, however. At the lower end, people can charge around 2,000 rupees ($24; £19) a day, but top influencers can pull in about 500,000 rupees for a post – equivalent to the monthly salary of someone in top-level management.

The creator of the Ranting Gola channel revealed to the BBC that political parties and election management firms have offered as much as “100,000 to 500,000 rupees for a single campaign”.

It is no small amount – but then, it could turn the tide in a candidate’s favour.

Mr Deshpande says they have helped an opposition candidate win an assembly election by pushing out content through a curated list of local influencers with a small but active following.

“Social media content is powerful and can influence the way a person feels about an issue,” Mr Deshpande says. “It gives social currency to a belief or opinion – but this can lead to a lack of critical thinking about an issue,” he adds.

Preethi Aggarwal, 25, is one of those who turns to apps like Instagram, YouTube and Twitter to help her understand the news.

Like thousands of others, Ms Aggarwal follows a bunch of “political influencers”, or people who talk about politics on social media to “really understand what’s going on”.

“News can get boring and complicated sometimes. I think these people [influencers] make it fun and easier to understand,” she says, adding the context and their own perspective help her form her opinions.

But the problem is, whose perspective is she getting?

PMO India / YouTubePM Modi congratulated Ranveer Allahbadia (left, known as BeerBiceps) and other influencers at a recent event

YouTuber Samdish Bhatia reveals numerous politicians have reached out to him, especially in the months before this election, offering him millions of rupees to interview them.

“But they wanted me to share questions in advance or get the video approved before it’s published,” he says, adding that he declined the offers because he “likes to maintain editorial control”.

The particular trend for longer form, slightly chummy interviews – where politicians get to show off their human side – is particularly vulnerable to management, says Joyojeet Pal, an associate professor at the University of Michigan.

“Many of these interviews are carefully managed by politicians,” Mr Pal says.

But even if they aren’t, a gentler style of questioning can also blur the line between interview and promotion, says Mr Pal.

“If your questions aren’t holding power to account, then the interview just becomes a platform for easy publicity.”

But for Mr Pal, this is just one of the problems he sees with politics on social media.

In a recent research paper, he examined some of India’s top influencers and who they interviewed, finding BJP leaders were featured more often than opposition leaders.

His research also found an overall drop in the number of accounts posting content critical of the incumbent government in recent years, while the amount of pro-BJP content had increased.

“This hints at a growing hesitancy among people to be openly critical of the government whereas there seems to be more confidence in putting up polarising content or content that supports the government’s ideologies,” Mr Pal says.

“And this is dangerous for democracy,” he adds.

Getty ImagesEven in the most remote areas, Indians have access to a mobile phone and internet

Influencers supporting the opposition certainly suggested they were working in a hostile environment.

A number who post content that’s critical of the government declined to speak to the BBC for this piece citing fear of repercussions by the government. They also run their channels under pseudonyms to keep their identities secret.

The Ranting Gola told the BBC that she has often received comments that are abusive or threatening because of the videos she posts and that her Instagram account has been disabled numerous times, even though the platform hasn’t given her a clear reason for doing so.

She also only spoke to the BBC on the condition that her name not be revealed.

The BJP government has denied allegations that it has clamped down on dissent and free speech.

But even pro-BJP YouTuber Sham Sharma told the BBC that freedom of speech could be a problem in India:

0:52YouTuber Sham Sharma talks about the positives and perils of sharing his views online.

But even given these concerns, opposition parties are using the same influencer system to reach voters in what they say is a difficult environment.

“The mainstream media has been taken over by the BJP,” alleges Supriya Srinate, who heads social media for the Congress party.

“Our funds have been frozen; we have no money to advertise,” she adds, referring to action taken by India’s tax department weeks before the elections. Congress leaders have accused the government of political vendetta, but the government has denied the allegation and said that the federal department was doing its job independently.

Influencers, Ms Srinate argues, are a good way to reach voters as a result of these alleged hurdles, explaining the Congress has been working with “volunteers” who believe in the party’s ideology and want to share its work on social media.

Ankit Lal, former political advisor of the opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), agrees that influencers have helped democratise the publicity landscape.

Akash Banerjee, a former journalist who runs the YouTube channel, The DeshBhakt, argues that influencers are also able to push boundaries more than the traditional media can.

He cites the video ‘Is India becoming a dictatorship?’ – made by popular content creator Dhruv Rathee, who is based in Germany – which takes on the government directly, and has been viewed about 24 million times on YouTube so far. The government hasn’t reacted to the video yet.

“After the video, the term ‘dictatorship’ has popped up more in conversations, and this is something that has never happened before,” Mr Banerjee says.

“Our job as influencers may not be to open the window and check if it’s really raining, but we owe it to the nation to take a look outside the window and let people know if dark clouds are approaching and that they can do something about it by voting.”

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Abdulrahman Mari died in an Israeli prison after 7 October

A few days after Hamas attacked Israel and war erupted in Gaza, Umm Mohamed in the occupied West Bank received a telephone call from her son in an Israeli prison.

“Pray for me mum,” Abdulrahman Mari said. “Things are getting harder here. They might not let me speak to you again”.

It would be the last time she heard his voice.

Conditions deteriorated for Palestinian prisoners in Israel after 7 October last year, when Hamas mounted its deadly assault on Israeli communities near the Gaza Strip, according to the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority’s (PA) Commission of Detainees Affairs.

Thirteen Palestinian prisoners have since died in Israeli prisons, “the majority of them as a result of beating or denial of medication”, the commission’s head, Qadoura Fares, told the BBC.

Abdulrahman was one of the first to die.

A carpenter in the village of Qarawat Bani Hassan, he had been on his way back home from work in Ramallah in February last year when he was arrested at a mobile checkpoint. He was taken into administrative detention – under which Israel can hold people indefinitely without charge – in Megiddo prison.

His brother Ibrahim said the charges against him were minor, such as taking part in protests and possessing a firearm, but said he was also accused of belonging to Hamas although there were no specific charges about any activities within the group.

Ibrahim is still trying to piece together how exactly his brother died. He has to rely on testimony from Abdulrahman’s former cellmates, as well as reports from court hearings.

One former cellmate, who spoke to the BBC on condition of anonymity, said: “After 7 October, it was total torture. They beat us for no reason, they searched us for no reason. Even if you look at someone the wrong way.”

He described having seen Abdulrahman heavily beaten in front of him and others.

“At 9am, they came into our cell, and began to beat us. One of the guards began to insult Abdulrahman’s parents, which he didn’t stand for, and he began to fight back.

“They beat him badly, and took him away to another cell upstairs for a week. During that time you could hear him crying out in pain.”

He said he had only found out about Abdulrahman’s death after he left prison a week later.

The Israeli prison service did not directly address the BBC’s questions about Abdulrahman’s death or those of the 12 other named Palestinians that the Commission of Detainees Affairs says have died, saying only: “We are not familiar with the claims described and as far as we know they are not true.”

Getty ImagesIsrael has detained thousands of West Bank Palestinians since 7 October

Professor Danny Rosin, a doctor from the group Physicians for Human Rights, attended the examination of Abdulrahman Mari’s body. His remarks corroborate what Abdulrahman’s cellmate and brother told the BBC.

Prof Rosin’s report mentioned that bruises had been seen over Abdulrahman’s left chest, and that he had several broken ribs. External bruises were also seen on the back, buttocks, left arm and thigh, as well as the right side of the head and neck with no fractures underneath.

It also quoted an additional police report which had mentioned “forceful restraint” being used on Mr Mari six days before his death.

Professor Rosin said in the report that while no specific cause of death had been found, “one may assume that the violence he suffered manifested by the multiple bruises and multiple severe rib fractures contributed to his death”.

He also added that “irregular pulse” or a “heart attack” could result from these injuries without leaving any physical evidence.

Israel currently holds more than 9,300 security prisoners, the vast majority of whom are Palestinians according to the Israeli rights group HaMoked, including more than 3,600 people in administrative detention.

These figures do not include detainees from the Gaza Strip being held in separate facilities by the Israeli military.

Mr Qadoura says the change after 7 October “affected every aspect of the prisoners’ lives”, alleging that prisoners have been subjected to starvation and thirst and some of those with chronic illnesses were denied their medication. Beatings became more regular and more brutal.

“I met a detainee who’d lost 20kg in the last three months,” he said.

“It’s as if the war on Gaza was also a war on Palestinian prisoners. It was all a form of revenge.”

Arafat Hamdan was dead within two days of his arrest

The BBC has previously heard from Palestinian prisoners who described being hit with sticks, having muzzled dogs set on them and having their clothes, food and blankets taken away in the weeks after 7 October.

The Israeli prison service has denied any mistreatment, saying that “all prisoners are held in accordance with the law while respecting their basic rights and under the supervision of a professional and skilled prison staff”.

It said prisons had gone into “emergency mode” after war broke out and it had been “decided to reduce the living conditions of the security prisoners”. Examples it gave included removing electrical equipment and cutting electricity to cells and reducing prisoners’ activities in the wings.

In the West Bank village of Beit Sira, Arafat Hamdan’s father showed where Israeli police officers had kicked the door of his family home and stormed in at 04:00 on 22 October looking for his son.

Police covered his son’s face with a thick black cloth and closed it around his neck with a rope. The mask smelled strongly, he said, and Arafat clearly had a hard time breathing with it on.

“I kept trying to comfort him.” Yasser Hamdan told the BBC. “It’s ok. They have nothing against you. They have nothing against us. I kept telling him that as they tied him up outside the house. Then they took him.”

Two days later a phone call came. Arafat had been found dead in his cell in Ofer prison in the West Bank.

Israeli authorities have not explained how he died. Arafat had Type 1 diabetes and would suffer from low blood sugar levels from time to time.

His father said one of the police officers arresting Arafat had told him to bring medicine with him, but it was unclear if he had been able to.

The BBC obtained a report by Dr Daniel Solomon, a surgeon who was present at the post mortem of Arafat Hamdan at the request of Physicians for Human Rights.

Dr Solomon said it had been carried out in Israel on 31 October but added that the condition of the body, due to prolonged refrigeration, had made it harder to determine the cause of death.

He also noted the absence of any records showing if Arafat’s diabetes medication had been administered and at what dosing.

The report also mentioned the need for other tests beyond the post mortem to determine the cause of death.

“Until now we don’t know how he died. Nothing is clear.” Yasser Hamdan said.

Umm Mohammed said Abdulrahman had become a leader of his group of prisoners before his death

Neither Arafat’s nor Abdulrahman’s bodies have yet been returned. Their families want to arrange their own post mortems, hold funerals, and say a final goodbye.

“He was my flesh and blood. Then he was gone in a moment,” Yasser Hamdan said. Photos of his son were everywhere you looked in his apartment.

Umm Mohamed showed photos of Abdulrahman on her phone, pointing to one and saying: “Look at him. He was so cheerful.”

Over time he had become a leader in his group of prisoners, she said.

“He’d call me when he was making breakfast for them when they were all still asleep. He was always the most active. He would never sit still, that boy.”

She broke down. “Bring him back to me. I want to see him one last time. One last look.”

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 Foto: Kereta Cepat Whoosh. (Dok: KCIC)

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Pulau Kalimantan akan terhubung dengan jaringan kereta cepat yang dinamakan Trans Borneo Railway (TBR). Proyek ini akan menghubungkan 3 negara sekaligus yaitu Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, dan Indonesia.

Adapun perusahaan yang menggarap proyek ini adalah Brunergy Utama Sdn Bhd. Brunergy adalah perusahaan yang sepenuhnya dimiliki oleh Brunei Darussalam, yang berfokus pada pembangunan proyek infrastruktur utama untuk mendorong pertumbuhan di Kalimantan.

Baca: Proyek Kereta Cepat Kalimantan Tembus IKN Butuh Dana Jumbo Segini

Dalam rilisnya yang dikutip CNBC Indonesia, TBR menyebutkan proyek tersebut akan dibangun dalam dua tahap dengan rute sepanjang 1.620 kilometer (km) dengan rata-rata rute antar stasiun adalah 150 km. Kereta akan melesat dengan kecepatan 300 hingga 350 km per jam dan setiap perjalanan memakan waktu rata-rata 30 menit.

“Pembangunan tahap pertama akan menghubungkan kekuatan ekonomi di kota-kota pesisir barat hingga timur, dimulai di Pontianak, Kalimantan Barat dan berakhir di Kota Kinabalu, Sabah,” demikian menurut Brunergy dalam keterangannya, Rabu (3/4/2024).

Lantas berapa biaya investasi yang harus dikeluarkan? Dalam proposal tersebut jumlah investasi disebutkan sebesar US$ 70 billion atau RM 330 billion. Kalau dirupiahkan sekitar Rp 1.114 triliun (kurs Rp 15.925/US$).

Foto: Rencana rute proyek kereta cepat Kalimantan milik Trans Borneo Railway. (Dok. Brunergy Utama Sdn Bhd) Rencana rute proyek kereta cepat Kalimantan milik Trans Borneo Railway. (Dok. Brunergy Utama Sdn Bhd)

Dalam proposal tersebut disebutkan proyek Trans Borneo Railway dibagi dalam 2 tahap/fase. Untuk pembangunan fase pertama ini akan melibatkan Kota Kinabalu, Kimanis/Papar, Beaufort-Sipitang, Lawas, Bangar, Limbang, Bukit Panggal, Miri, Bintulu, Sibu Sri Aman, Kuching, Sambas, Singkawang, Mempawah, dan Pontianak.

Sedangkan fase kedua nantinya akan memasuki wilayah Kalimantan Utara dan Timur untuk menghubungkan jalur utama dengan kota terbesar Kalimantan, Samarinda dan kemudian ibu kota masa depan Indonesia, Nusantara.

Pembangunan jalur tahap kedua ini melibatkan stasiun dari Bukit Panggal (di Brunei) hingga Long Seridan, Ba’ Kelalan, Long Bawan, Malinau, Tanjung Selor, Tandjungredeb, Pengadan, Lubuk Tutung, Bontang, Samarinda, dan Balikpapan.

“Meskipun Kalimantan di Malaysia dan Indonesia telah mengalami urbanisasi skala besar dalam beberapa dekade terakhir, mayoritas penduduknya masih terisolasi dan tinggal di komunitas pedesaan terbelakang yang tersebar di seluruh pulau,” jelas perusahaan tersebut.

Dalam pembangunan proyek ini, TBR akan membangun empat terminal (stasiun central) yang berfungsi sebagai hub utama angkutan massal, bersama dengan 24 stasiun di seluruh pulau. Kedua jalur kereta api tersebut akan terhubung di distrik Tutong di Brunei yang terletak di lokasi strategis dan berfungsi sebagai hub pusat TBR.

Sementara itu, untuk jenis kereta yang dipakai, Brunergy menggunakan Kereta berkecepatan tinggi atau kereta peluru (bullet train) yang mampu melesat dengan kecepatan maksimum 320 km per jam atau lebih.
Menurut Brunergy, pengenalan teknologi ini ke wilayah tersebut akan meningkatkan interaksi manusia ke tingkat yang berbeda dan akan berkelanjutan selama 50 tahun ke depan atau lebih tanpa banyak persaingan dan perubahan teknologi.

Baca: Tak Lagi Misterius, Ini Rencana Jalur Kereta Cepat ke IKN

“Yang terpenting, pengenalan teknologi dan industri baru melalui TBR niscaya akan membuka lapangan kerja baru bagi penduduk lokal,” ungkap perusahaan lebih lanjut.

Proyek ini pertama kali dipresentasikan kepada Kementerian Transportasi dan Infokomunikasi Brunei Darussalam pada tahun 2022, sebelum diumumkan sekitar Juni 2023 setelah perusahaan melakukan serangkaian kunjungan ke kementerian terkait di tiga negara https://mesintik.com/tersebut.

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 Foto: Komandan Satuan Tugas Gabungan (CTF) 150 Angkatan Laut Kanada Kapten Colin Matthews melakukan kunjungan ke Jakarta. (Dok. Detikcom/Rifka)

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Komandan Satuan Tugas Gabungan (CTF) 150 dari Angkatan Laut Kanada Kapten (AL) Colin Matthews mengunjungi Jakarta bersama Duta Besar Kanada untuk Indonesia, Y.M. Jess Dutton dan Atase Pertahanan Kanada, Kolonel Stewart Taylor pada 27-28 Maret 2024 kemarin.

Mereka berkunjung untuk bertemu dengan anggota Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Laut (TNI-AL) sebagai bagian dari Pasukan Maritim Gabungan (Combined Maritime Forces/CMF).

“Kunjungan ini telah menjadi langkah berharga dalam mengembangkan hubungan antara Pasukan Maritim Gabungan dan mitra kami di Indonesia. Kunjungan ini telah memungkinkan kami untuk melakukan diskusi yang bermakna tentang kepentingan bersama kami dalam menggagalkan dan menghalangi organisasi kriminal dan teroris di laut dan mempromosikan lingkungan maritim yang aman dan stabil. Saya berharap dapat melihat hubungan ini semakin mendalam untuk mendukung tujuan bersama kita,” tutur Kapten (AL) Colin Matthews, Komandan Satuan Tugas Gabungan 150, dalam keterangan resmi, Jumat (29/03/2024).

Di bawah kepemimpinan Kanada, Satuan Tugas Gabungan 150 baru-baru ini melakukan kunjungan ke Jakarta selama 27-28 Maret sebagai bagian dari Pasukan Maritim Gabungan (Combined Maritime Forces/CMF). Kunjungan ini merupakan kelanjutan dari diskusi antara CMF dan TNI-AL dengan harapan memperkuat hubungan dan memajukan tujuan bersama.

Kunjungan ini juga menyoroti hubungan pertahanan bilateral yang bersahabat dan terus berkembang antara Kanada dan Indonesia. Kunjungan ini menekankan komitmen bersama untuk mempromosikan perdamaian, ketahanan, dan keamanan di kawasan ini seiring dengan implementasi Strategi Indo-Pasifik Kanada.

“Kanada menyadari perlunya mempromosikan perdamaian, ketahanan, dan keamanan di laut, dan Satuan Tugas Gabungan 150 yang dipimpin Kanada merupakan salah satu dari banyak contoh tentang bagaimana kami berkontribusi dalam menjaga tatanan internasional berbasis aturan, sebuah nilai yang kami miliki bersama dengan rekan-rekan kami di Indonesia,” kata Kolonel Stewart Taylor, Atase Pertahanan Kanada untuk Indonesia

CTF 150 merupakan salah satu dari lima gugus tugas dalam CMF yang berbasis di Manama, Bahrain. CMF merupakan kemitraan maritim multinasional yang melawan aktor non-negara yang tidak sah di laut lepas. CMF mempromosikan keamanan, stabilitas, dan kemakmuran di sekitar 8,3 juta kilometer persegi perairan internasional yang mencakup beberapa jalur pelayaran terpenting di dunia.

Mandat CTF 150 adalah mempromosikan kondisi keamanan dan stabilitas di lingkungan maritim dengan melawan tindakan teroris dan kriminal, seperti penyelundupan narkotika, yang digunakan oleh organisasi-organisasi ini untuk mendanai operasi mereka atau menyembunyikan gerakan mereka.

Fakta Singkat

Satuan Tugas Gabungan 150 (Combined Task Force/CTF 150) merupakan satu dari lima satuan tugas yang dioperasikan oleh Pasukan Maritim Gabungan:

CTF 150, bertanggung jawab atas keamanan maritim dan kontra-terorisme;
CTF 151, bertanggung jawab untuk melawan pembajakan;
CTF 152, bertanggung jawab atas keamanan dan kerja sama di Teluk Arab;
CTF 153, bertanggung jawab atas keamanan maritim di Laut Merah; dan
CTF 154, pelatihan maritim multinasional terkemuka dengan negara-negara Pasukan Maritim Gabungan dan mitra regional.

Komando CTF 150 digilir di antara negara-negara mitra, dan ini merupakan kali keenam Kanada memimpin gugus tugas tersebut, yang terakhir kali dilakukan pada Januari hingga Juli 2021.

Kegiatan yang dilakukan untuk mendukung Strategi Indo-Pasifik akan membantu membangun kepercayaan dan kemitraan militer, sembari mempromosikan perdamaian dan stabilitas. Kontribusi Angkatan Bersenjata Kanada menunjukkan komitmen terhadap Indo-Pasifik dan meningkatkan peran Kanada sebagai mitra internasionalhttps://mesintik.com/ terpercaya.

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 Foto: Gedung HK (Dok. Kementerian BUMN)

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi (KPK) melakukan penggeledahan di 2 lokasi terkait kasus korupsi pengadaan lahan jalan Tol Trans Sumatera (JTSS) yang dilaksanakan PT Hutama Karya Persero. Dua tempat yang digeledah adalah kantor pusat Hutama Karya dan PT HKR yang merupakan anak usaha PT HK di Jakarta.

“Tim Penyidik, telah selesai melaksanakan penggeledahan di 2 lokasi yakni kantor pusat PT HK Persero dan dan PT HKR,” kata juru bicara KPK Ali Fikri, Rabu, (27/3/2024).

Ali mengatakan penggeledahan dilakukan pada Senin, (25/3/2024). Selama kegiatan berlangsung, kata dia, tim penyidik memperoleh dokumen-dokumen pengadaan lahan.

“Temuan dokumen tersebut diantaranya berisi item-item pengadaan yang diduga dilakukan secara melawan hukum,” kata Ali.

Menurut Ali, dokumen-dokumen tersebut akan disita dan dianalisis. Setelah itu, dokumen akan dijadikan barang bukti untuk dikonfirmasi kepada para saksi.

Sebelumnya, KPK mengkonfirmasi tengah melakukan penyidikan terkait proyek jalan Tol Trans Sumatera yang diharap Hutama Karya. Berdasarkan perhitungan BPKP, kasus ini diduga merugikan negara sebanyak belasan miliar rupiah.

Dalam perkara ini, KPK juga sudah mencegah 3 orang berpergian ke luar negeri. KPK belum mengumumkan lebih detail mengenai siapa tersangka dalam perkara tersebut. Pengumuman akan dilakukan pada tahap penahanan atauhttps://mesintik.com/ penangkapan.

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 Foto: CNBC Indonesia TV

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia–Menteri Agraria dan Tata Ruang/Badan Pertanahan Nasional (ATR/BPN) Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY) berjanji akan membersihkan kementeriannya dari pejabat yang terlibat tindak pidana pertanahan. Sebaliknya, dia juga berjanji akan melindungi bawahannya yang bersih dari serangan balik para mafia tanah.

“Saya tegaskan tidak boleh ada lagi oknum atau pejabat internal yang justru disengaja ataupun tidak, terlibat dalam praktik tindak pidana pertanahan,” kata AHY saat rapat kerja dengan Komisi II DPR RI, Senin, (25/3/2024).

Baca: Rapat Perdana di DPR, AHY: Saya Perwira Militer, Wiraswasta & Politisi

AHY mengatakan telah menginstruksikan kepada Inspektorat Jenderal di Kementerian ATR/BPN untuk mengawasi secara ketat kemungkinan para pejabatnya ikut bermain dalam tindak pidana pertanahan. Dia mengatakan upaya pengawasan itu akan lebih manjur, ketimbang melakukan penindakan terhadap para pejabat tanah nakal.

Meski demikian, dia berjanji akan menindak tegas bawahannya yang berani terlibat dalam kejahatan pertanahan tersebut. “Pendekatan preventif lebih baik dari represif, tapi jika ada oknum yang melanggar, kami akan bertindak tegas sesuai aturan yang berlaku,” kata dia.

AHY berkata sebaliknya dia akan tegas melindungi bawahannya dari serangan balik mafia tanah. Dia mengatakan apabila ada pegawainya yang sudah bekerja sesuai aturan, dirinya tidak akan membiarkan mereka masuk penjara akibat ulah mafia tanah.

“Sebaliknya jika pejabat itu sudah bekerja sesuai aturan saya tidak akan biarkan pejabat ATR/BPN yang masuk penjara akibat ulah mafia tanah ini. Saya akan bela dengan menggunakan seluruh cara dan sumber daya yang kita miliki,” kata dia.

Baca: AHY Rapat Perdana Bareng DPR, Ketua Komisi II Singgung Kehadiran Ibas

AHY memenuhi undangan rapat kerja dari Komisi II DPR RI hari ini. Ini merupakan rapat perdana sejak dirinya dilantik menjadi Menteri ATR/BPN. Dalam rapat ini, AHY menjabarkan mengenai latar belakangnya dan program kerja yang akan dilakukannya selama menjadihttps://mesintik.com/ Menteri ATR/BPN.

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 Foto: CNBC Indonesia TV

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Pasangan calon presiden dan wakil presiden (paslon) no 3, Ganjar Pranowo dan Mahfud MD dikabarkan bakal mendaftarkan gugatan ke Mahkamah Konstitusi (MK) hari ini, Sabtu (2/3/2024). Gugatan itu atas hasil pemilihan presiden (Pilpres) yang digelar pada Pemilu 14 Februari 2024 lalu.

Seperti diketahui, KPU telah menetapkan, Prabowo Subianto-Gibran Rakabuming Raka sebagai pemenang Pilpres dengan perolehan suara 58,58%.

Rencana pendaftaran gugatan itu diungkapkan oleh Deputi Hukum Ganjar-Mahfud, Todung Mulya Lubis. Saat dikonfirmasi CNN Indonesia pada hari Jumat, 21 Maret 2024.

“Besok (hari ini, Sabtu). Jam 17.00 WIB,” kata Todung, seperti dilansir CNN Indonesia, Sabtu (23/3/2024).

Baca: Anies & Ganjar Ajukan Gugatan ke MK, Begini Tahapannya

Todung menambahkan, Ganjar dan Mahfud tidak akan hadir dalam pendaftaran gugatan ke MK nanti.

Tak hanya itu, Todung sebelumnya juga mengungkapkan, sudah memiliki 30 saksi adn 10 ahli untuk gugatan tersebut.

Sebelumnya, Ganjar telah menegaskan bakal menggugat hasil Pilpres 2024 ke MK.

“Tim sepakat kalau semuanya harus diluruskan agar demokrasi baik, maka benteng terakhir adalah MK,” kata Ganjar dalam konferensi pers di Jakarta, Kamis (21/3/2024).

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 Foto: Ketua Umum Apindo Shinta Widjaja Kamdani. (CNBC Indonesia/Martyasari Rizky)

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Per 1 Januari 2025, pemerintah memastikan akan menerapkan kebijakan Pajak Pertambahan Nilai (PPN) baru, yang naik satu persen menjadi 12%. Kenaikan PPN tersebut telah memicu penolakan dan kritik dari kalangan pengusaha. 

Terbaru, Ketua Umum Asosiasi Pengusaha Indonesia (Apindo) Shinta Widjaja Kamdani meminta pemerintahan baru, yang akan dipimpin Prabowo Subianto dan Gibran Rakabuming Raka, membatalkan kebijakan PPN 12% tersebut.

Shinta tak menampik rencana PPN 12% memang bukan suatu kebijakan yang mendadak karena telah dimandatkan dalam Undang-Undang HPP Nomor 7 Tahun 202.

Namun, imbuh dia, kondisi ekonomi saat ini di luar ekspektasi pengusaha pada saat aturan itu dibuat. Sehingga dia meminta agar kebijakan penyesuaian besaran PPN menjadi 12% bisa dievaluasi lebih lanjut di pemerintahan berikutnya.

Baca: Duh! PPN Naik Jadi 12%, Harga Tiket Pesawat Bisa Makin Mahal

“Kami juga mendengar masukan daripada pelaku (usaha). Ini harus jadi perhatian pada saatnya itu sudah masuk di pemerintah baru. Mereka bisa mengevaluasi dan melihat perkembangan saat ini, karena jelas ini suatu yang tidak kami antisipasi bahwa kondisi global akan separah ini,” kata Shinta saat ditemui di Kantor Kementerian Koordinator Bidang Kemaritiman dan Investasi (Kemenko Marves), Jakarta, Jumat (22/3/2024).

Shinta menilai, dengan adanya penyesuaian besaran PPN menjadi 12% di tengah kondisi global yang penuh ketidakpastian, itu akan berpengaruh kepada sektor bisnis hingga daya beli masyarakat.

“Kenaikan (PPN) 12% sebetulnya itu akan dibebankan ke konsumen. Jadi nanti yang akan kena ke konsumennya, bukan ke pelaku usaha. Itu yang harus menjadi perhatian pemerintah kepada konsumen sendiri. Nanti seperti apa. Karena jelas mereka akan membutuhkan insentif dan lain-lain,” ujarnya.

“Mungkin tidak bisa diputuskan sekarang karena ini masih pemerintah Pak Jokowi, tapi ke depan itu kan targetnya Januari akan dinaikkan. Semoga bisa jadi perhatian dan pertimbangan apakah tepat waktunya,” tambah Shinta.

Baca: Sri Mulyani Ungkap Kepastian Kenaikan PPN 12% di Tangan Presiden Baru

Lebih lanjut, Shinta menyarankan agar pemerintah lebih berfokus pada peningkatan pembayaran dari pajak itu sendiri, bukan justru meningkatkan nilainya. Katanya, ini akan menjadi PR besar yang harus diselesaikan oleh pemerintahan mendatang.

“Ini yang juga sudah kita sampaikan, bahwa kita harus perhatikan bagaimana caranya bisa lebih banyak pengembangan dari segi bayar pajak,” tuturnya.

“Kalau kita lihat industri di Indonesia ini lebih banyak di informal daripada formal. Oleh karenanya, mereka tidak membayar pajak. Ini mungkin sesuatu yang harus lebih kita dorong, untuk bantu bagaimana bisa konversi dari informal ke formal, sehingga bisa bantu juga daripada peningkatan pemasukan pajak,” imbuh dia.

Baca: Tolak PPN 12%, Pengusaha “Teriak” Minta Tolong ke Prabowo-Gibran

Sebelumnya, merespons reaksi atas rencana kenaikan PPN tersebut, Menteri Keuangan Sri Mulyani Indrawati buka suara. Dia menegaskan hal ini bisa diubah, meski sudah disepakati pemerintah dan DPR pada 2021.

“PPN 12% sudah dibahas ini juga termasuk fatsun politik UU HPP yag kita semua bahas udah setuju namun kita hormati pemerintah baru,” terangnya saat rapat kerja dengan Komisi XI di Gedung DPR/MPR, Jakarta, dikutip Jumat (19/3/2024).

Menurut Sri Mulyani, pemerintah baru berhak mengubah kebijakan yang sudah disepakati sebelumnya. Tentunya disesuaikan dengan arah dan kebijakan yang dijanjikan ketika kampanye. “Jadi kalau target PPN tetap 11%, nanti https://mesintik.com/disesuaikan,” tegasnya.

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 Foto: Milk Bun di Transmart. (CNBC Indonesia/Mentari)

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Roti susu Milk Bun tengah viral di media sosial. Tak ayal, banyak pengunjung yang penasaran untuk mencoba produk terbaru dari Transmart Bread Shop.

Sebagai toko ritel terkemuka, Transmart tidak mau kehilangan momen untuk menyediakan kudapan khas Thailand ini. Milk Bun ini terpantau banyak dibeli para pengunjung Transmart Trans Studio Mall Cibubur pada Minggu, (17/3/2024).

“Tadi kebetulan lewat terus lihat Milk Bun ini, eh tertarik beli buat buka puasa,” ungkap Putri (22) salah satu pengunjung Transmart di Cibubur, Minggu, (17/3/2024).

Sebagai informasi, Milk bun sekilas tampak sama seperti roti sobek pada umumnya. Hanya saja tampilan rotinya diberi taburan bubuk putih di atasnya sehingga terlihat seperti salju.Roti tersebut diklaim memiliki tekstur yang sangat lembut seperti kapas. Roti ini disebut-sebut merupakan adaptasi dari milk bun asal Jepang, Hokkaido milk bun.

Baca: Kisah Abdullah Al Qasemi, Tokoh Islam Arab yang Berubah Jadi Ateis

Selain Putri, ternyata produk Bread Shop Transmart juga mencuri hati Nungki (45), ia membeli beberapa roti-roti manis lainnya selain Milk Snowy Bun ala Thailand. Ia mengaku, memborong cemilan tersebut menggunakan pembayaran kartu kredit Bank Mega.

“Memang belum pernah coba (milk bun) yang dari Thailandnya langsung, tertarik beli karena kebetulan ada diskon,” ucap Putri.

Memang, Roti Milk Snowy Bun di Transmart Bread Shop dibanderol dengan potongan harga dari Rp30.000 menjadi Rp24.000 per pack. Diskon ini bisa dinikmati selama Transmart Full Day Sale hari ini, sejak toko buka hingga pukul 22.00 WIB.

Pengunjung bisa menikmati potongan harga di Program Transmart Full Day Sale dengan diskon besar-besaran hingga 50% + 20% bagi pelanggan yang menggunakan kartu kredit Bank Mega, kartu kredit Bank Mega Syariah, dan aplikasi Allo https://mesintik.com/Bank.