Transcript
Tantowi Yahya: So, to make it more simple and accountable, the government has decided to make a single agency called AID. So basically, it's the same stuff but more coordinated and more accountable. So, the fundings are provided by or organised by our Ministry of Finance and National Development Board, and it is coordinated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Johnny Blades: Is there a set figure of that overseas aid which will go to Pacific Island countries?
Tantowi Yahya: No, and nothing specific for certain areas, certain regions or certain countries, but altogether we have provided around $US212 million and basically that covers everything. It was very clear under (President) Widodo's administration, he always said in many occasions that it's time for Indonesia to give rather than to receive funding from overseas. And he actually materialises that promises. So, Indonesia now has arrived in a time of giving contribution rather than receiving contributions from the world.
Johnny Blades: Indonesia is, of course, a recipient of hundreds of millions of dollars in development assistance or aid from countries like Australia, China, Japan. So how is Indonesia in a position to give to other countries when it's also taking from others?
Tantowi Yahya: Well, all countries are receiving funding from many countries through... for especially use for development for infrastructures. But a country like Indonesia and also other countries also have amount of money to spend for the contributions to make peace, to promote peace, and also for humanitarian disasters as such. It's just like just like yourself, just like myself, you know, we borrow money, but at the same time, we also give money lend money to the needy. I mean, it's just normal, normal practice nothing new about it.
Johnny Blades: And some of the Pacific Island countries have looked to Indonesia for assistance. Who are they?
Tantowi Yahya: We have given a distance to five countries in the Pacific, namely, Tuvalu, Nauru, Solomon Islands, Kiribati and Fiji, and the contributions are in form of technical assistance, training, machineries, equipment, that kind of stuff yeah. So basically, the funding that we have provided are aimed at all the countries in the world who are in need.
Johnny Blades: Is it fair to say that the assistance to some of these Pacific Island countries also comes with an understanding that they won't push on West Papua issues?
Tantowi Yahya: I know that you always relate anything that we do in the Pacific with Papua. It's a kind of a notion that limits us from being contributive in this part of the world. Indonesia has also been part of this region, and I think it's very normal if we are also concerned about what happens in this part of the world, and especially when they need assistance from countries like Indonesia, and obviously, Australia and New Zealand. So I think it's not fair if everything good that we do in this part of the world has always been related to Papua. So it has nothing to do with politics.