Indonesia Morning News For April 20

Indonesia Morning News For April 20
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Indonesia morning newsPowerChina to build hydropower plants for $17.8 billion
Power Construction Corporation of China (PowerChina) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with PT Indonesia Kayan Hydropower Energy to jointly build hydropower plants with a total investment of US$17.8 billion on the Kayan River in North Kalimantan.
— The Jakarta Post

By End of March, IDR185,60 Trillion Village Funds Absorbed
The Village Funds consist of a large amount in the State Budget (APBN) 2018. The APBN reaches IDR419.55 trillion, an increase of 4.88 percent by the end of March 2018 or during the first quarter of 2018.
— Netral News

Indonesia to boost biodiesel exports, Malaysia expects to lose market share
Indonesian biodiesel makers are gearing up to boost exports after the European Union removed anti-dumping duties on shipments from some producers in the country, but rival suppliers in Malaysia are bracing for a slowdown in the wake of the move.
— The Edge Markets

Importers to gain from 22% dip in Indonesia coal prices
Rising Indonesian coal production and lower Chinese demand have pulled down Indonesian coal prices by 22% over the last 45 days, a trend that augurs well for plants that import fuel.
— The Economic Times

Google satellite tracking is Indonesia’s secret weapon in war on illegal fishing
Indonesia’s Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti deals with some dangerous men in her role, but they don’t rattle her. She has an equally intimidating weapon on her side: Google.
— The Straits Times

Jokowi seeks to curb cash in anti-graft push for Indonesia vote
Indonesia plans to cap the usage of cash to burnish President Joko Widodo’s anti-graft image before elections next year.
— The Business Times

Draconian blasphemy laws seen as holding Indonesia back
Alexander Aan, a former civil servant from Dharmasraya district in West Sumatra, never suspected the anti-religious statements he posted on a Facebook account would land him in prison.
— UCA News

Indonesia’s elite divided on China
The diffuse nature of policymaking in Indonesia discourages its leaders from departing from the country’s status quo policy towards Beijing. The status quo aims to allow Jakarta to have its cake and eat it too — that is, enjoy close relations with Beijing while preserving its strategic autonomy in ASEAN.
— East Asia Forum

Indonesian fruit exports rise in Q1-2018
Exports of Indonesian fruit rose 6.13 percent year-on-year (y/y) to 325,236 tons in the first quarter of 2018 amid strengthening global demand for tropical fruit, specifically the growing demand for mangosteen, bananas and pineapples.
— Fresh Plaza

BI Survey: Credit Growth Expected to Strengthen in Q2 2018
Bank Indonesia (BI) Banking Survey indicated that quarterly new loan growth in Q1 2018 (qtq) slowed down in line with the pattern of loan disbursement at the beginning of the year, but higher than in the same period of the previous year.
— Netral News

Indonesian Enterprises Disagree with Facebook Closure Plan
Deputy chairman of North Sumatra`s Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) said that the plan to block Facebook in Indonesia will certainly harm the country`s micro, small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
— Tempo.co

Bank Mandiri launches student loan program
State-owned lender Bank Mandiri, in cooperation with Yogyakarta’s Gadjah Mada University (UGM), has kicked off its student loan program for undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate students enrolled at the national university.
— The Jakarta Post

2 killed and 21 injured as quake rocks central Java
Two people were killed and at least 21 people injured in an earthquake that struck central Java in Indonesia on Wednesday afternoon.
— Asia Times

Indonesia Power Generation Market to Record Sturdy Growth by 2022
The Indonesia power generation market is expected to reach US$63.6 bn by the end of 2022. This market was recorded at US$14.1 bn in 2013 and is projected to expand at an 18.70% CAGR within a forecast period from 2014 to 2022, as stated in a research report released by Transparency Market Research.
— The Columnist

Indonesia Eases Tax Holiday Policy for New FDI Projects
In a bid to attract more investment to support the country’s economic growth, Indonesia recently issued a new regulation granting a 100 percent Corporate Income Tax (CIT) cut to new FDI-backed businesses.
— Asean Briefing

Indonesian bank to offer public shares in its Islamic finance arm
ONE of Indonesia’s largest banks said it would sell shares to the public this month in its Islamic finance division – in part because it would help the lender cope with fast accumulating piles of money from customers eager to save for pilgrimages.
— The Business Times (paywall)

Jokowi to complete 38 strategic projects before term ends
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo aims to complete 38 out of 222 projects listed on the National Strategic Projects (PSN) list by the third quarter of 2019, when the president ends his five-year term.
— The Jakarta Post

ICW launches anticorruption e-learning channel
The Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) launched on Thursday the Anticorruption Academy, a free online learning platform about corruption and ways to prevent it, as part of its attempt to promote anticorruption values in the organization’s graft prevention campaign.
— The Jakarta Post

Penal code revision to solve overcrowding in prisons: Minister
Law and Human Rights Minister, Yasonna Laoly, stated here on Thursday that the revision of the penal code bill (RUU KUHAP) would offer an alternative penalty for the prisoners, in order to trim overcrowding in jail.
— Antara News

Domestic worker ‘lost’ for 13 years in Jordan rescued, can no longer speak Indonesian
Lately, we have seen several stories about Indonesian domestic workers abroad who were exploited and lost touch with anyone from their homeland for years or even decades.
— Coconuts Jakarta

Counseling, Not Crocodiles: Indonesia Anti-Drugs Tsar Flags New Strategy
Indonesia’s new antinarcotics chief Heru Winarko called for an expansion of rehabilitation centers across the country on Wednesday (18/04), flagging a new approach in contrast to the blood-soaked war on drugs underway in its neighbor, the Philippines.
— Jakarta Globe

Indonesia c.bank keeps rates on hold for 7th month, rules out hike
Indonesia’s central bank kept its key interest rate unchanged on Thursday, tying the decision to a need to maintain stability as the economy faces external pressures including higher oil prices and a potential trade war.
— The Edge Markets

SOE Ministry to Create Indonesia Version of Facebook
The Ministry of State-Owned Enterprises (SOE) planned to establish a consortium with state-owned enterprises to develop a social media platform similar to Facebook following the social media giant data breach scandal.
— Tempo.co

Govt raises demands to Facebook
In response to an alleged data breach by social media giant Facebook, the Communications and Information Ministry has expressed its demands to the company’s local representative.
— The Jakarta Post

Indonesia’s Pertamina to drill 20 wells in Algeria – agency
Indonesia’s Pertamina International EP will start drilling 20 wells at the Hassi Berkine oilfield in southern Algeria next month, Algerian state news agency APS reported, citing the firm’s local manager.
— Reuters

Export of Muslim apparel expected to increase by 10 percent
The Indonesian Ministry of Industry is seeking to increase the export of Muslim apparels by 10 percent this year.
— Antara News

Rupiah Down to 13.778 per USD After Fed Speech
Jakarta inter-bank spot dollar rate (JISBOR) showed the rupiah depreciating by eight points to trade for Rp13,778 per US dollar on Thursday morning.
— Tempo.co

 

Feature photo Asian Development Bank

 

Find our previous morning news feature photos in the AEC News Today Morning News Feature Photos gallery where you will find a pictorial display of daily life throughout the Asean Economic Community (AEC).

Indonesia morning news by AEC News Today is your one stop source for Indonesia news on matters of governance and policies affecting Asean business communities and is published M-F by AEC News Today: Governance, not government; policies not politics.

 

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Stella-maris Ewudolu

Journalist at AEC News Today

Stella-maris graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, Education from Ebonyi State University, Nigeria in 2005.

Between November 2010 and February 2012 she was a staff writer at Daylight Online, Nigeria writing on health, fashion, and relationships. From 2010 – 2017 she worked as a freelance screen writer for ‘Nollywood’, Nigeria.

She joined AEC News Today in December 2016.

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