Japanese and Taiwanese residents clean up the coast in Taiwan

Strengthen regional cooperation in consideration of emergencies

Living in harmony with the environment as a Taiwanese resident. On the 8th in Tainan City, southern Taiwan, about 170 Japanese and Taiwanese residents in the city jointly conducted a coastal cleanup activity as part of their environmental conservation activities. The private NPO "Tainan City Japanese Association", which was formed in July last year, called for it, and it was held jointly by the residents of Japan and Taiwan for the first time.

Takao Nozaki, the president of the association, who has lived in Taiwan for 15 years, said, "In the event of a natural disaster or an emergency in Taiwan, the first thing we can rely on is to help each other in the region. That is important. "

It is said that the coast of Tainan City's western part of Tainan City, which became a place for cleaning activities, has become more and more scattered with garbage as the number of tourists and anglers increases.

For the first time since the pandemic, 419 people were released to perform umrah

The Ministry of Religion released as many as 419 people to perform Umrah on Saturday and became the first time after several years that Indonesia did not send pilgrims due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala bless us to provide the best service for Umrah pilgrims, as well as the nation and state," said the Ministry of Religion's Director General of Hajj and Umrah (PHU) Hilman Latief in a written statement received in Jakarta, Saturday.

He said the initial plan for the departure of Umrah had been set in December 2021. However, the Ministry of Religion is still holding back and canceling the plan in view of the state of the COVID-19 pandemic at the end of the year.

Now Indonesia has sent its congregation. He advised the congregation to comply with the rules for preventing the transmission of COVID-19 both in the country and Saudi Arabia.

"Keep the trust of the Government of Indonesia and Saudi Arabia. Show that Indonesian Umrah pilgrims are obedient to the rules, especially obedient to the health protocols that have been set. Remember, the COVID-19 pandemic is not over yet," he said.

In accordance with the Minister of Religion's direction, his party is finalizing regulations regarding the implementation of Umrah during the pandemic, including those related to system integration with the Saudi Arabian government. This is done to continue to improve the quality of service and protection of pilgrims.

"Vaccine certification verification processes, health tests, quarantines, and health screenings are carried out in an easy, fast, valid, accurate way, and ensure compliance with the requirements set by the two countries, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia," he said.

According to him, the preparation for the implementation involved the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Law and Human Rights, Ministry of ER, COVID-19 Task Force, Airport Authority, and BNPB.

He expressed his gratitude to the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Indonesia for his support for the implementation of the Umrah pilgrimage this time, including to the ministries/agencies who also thought and worked for the success of the departure of Umrah pilgrims.

"We entrust Indonesian Umrah pilgrims to get the best service as guests of Allah, fellow Muslims and visitors to the two Holy Lands," said Hilman Latief.

Polemic for the Gala Sky house donation, the Ministry of Social Affairs explains the rules for raising funds

The Ministry of Social Affairs (Kemensos) has explained the correct rules for the Collection of Money and Goods (PUB) in the midst of the polemic over the donation of the Gala Sky house, the son of the late celebrity Vanessa Angel, who died in a car accident. The family of the late Vanessa took issue with the fundraising because it was deemed not to have official permission.

Director of Social Assistance Fund Management, Salahuddin Yahya, explained to ANTARA that there must be a permit for the collection of money and goods.

"What happened related to this latest incident is not something new at the Ministry of Social Affairs, because throughout Indonesia there are observers who monitor PUB activities in the community," Yahya said on Saturday.

This is regulated in the Minister of Social Affairs Regulation Number 8 of 2021, as well as Law Number 9 of 1961. The collection of money or goods may not be carried out by individuals, but through foundations or community organizations that are legal entities.

Regarding the polemic, the donation for the son of the celebrity does not have a permit. If the fundraising or goods raising is carried out within the scope of the regency/city, the permit must be obtained from the regent. At the provincial level, the permit is issued by the governor. If it is cross-provincial, then the permit must be issued from the Ministry of Social Affairs.

Through this regulation, the process of collecting funds to distribution to the parties concerned will be accountable. The Ministry of Social Affairs will also cooperate with other related parties so that the implementation activities take place in an orderly manner. He gave an example, raising funds for Palestine will involve coordination from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ensure the funds collected are channeled properly.

The party concerned with the donation for the Gala Sky, said Yahya, has been summoned by the Ministry of Social Affairs and is willing to attend next week.

The Ministry of Social Affairs will not immediately give punishment if it is guilty. Everything will be done gradually. There are two sanctions, namely administrative and criminal. If after being investigated and clarified, the party concerned still violates the rules, the funds collected can be returned to the state.

However, the first step to be taken is through education and a persuasive approach. This is because the party concerned may not know that fundraising must obtain permission from the Ministry of Social Affairs.

"Later, we will be guided to follow the rules," he said.

The granting of a permit for the collection of money and goods is the main task of the Directorate for the Management of Social Assistance Funds. Permission can be requested by filling out a form at the Management of Social Assistance Fund Resources or coming directly to a special counter at the Ministry of Social Affairs.

"There is a counter on the third floor, later they will be guided," he said.

For emergency matters, such as collecting funds for victims of Mount Semeru, the permit issuance process can be parallel to the donation process. Permits must be renewed quarterly to keep them under control. After the fundraising is complete, there must be a complete report starting from the amount of funds collected to who gets the help.