Indonesia morning news for December 20

Indonesia morning news for December 20
Advertisement
Online English lessons

Indonesia morning news

Indonesia seeks $60bn Chinese investment for infrastructure projects
Indonesia is offering a series of new projects worth up to $60 billion for Chinese investment to boost its participation in China’s belt and road programme, according to a report in the Straits Times.
— Out-Law.com

Direct impact of IMF-WB meetings on indonesian economy reaches Rp5.5 trillion
The National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) has noted that the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank (WB) Group held in Bali from Oct 8 to 14 had a direct impact on the economy, at Rp5.
— Antara News

Freeport to pay Indonesia $32 million for illegal forest use: state auditor
Copper miner Freeport-McMoRan Inc must pay Indonesia 460 billion rupiah ($32 million) in royalties for thousands of hectares of protected forest it used without a permit, Indonesia’s Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) said on Wednesday.
— Reuters

20 volcanoes across Indonesia currently showing above normal activity
The Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Center (PVMBG) has noted that there are 20 volcanoes with above normal levels of activity across the country.
— The Jakarta Post

Indonesia opens military base near disputed South China Sea
Indonesia this week opened a military base with over 1,000 personnel on a remote island at the southern edge of the disputed South China Sea, most of which is claimed by China.
— ABS-CBN News

Kresek be gone: Jakarta considering fine of up to IDR25 million for plastic bag use
Jakarta seems serious about tackling its plastic waste problem, with the provincial government drafting a bill that could significantly reduce the use of single-use plastic bags (known locally by the onomatopoeia kresek).
— Coconuts Jakarta (paywall)

KPK deposits over Rp500 billion in state treasury in 2018
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has deposited in the state treasury over Rp500 billion originating from the auction of confiscated goods and cases of corruption and money laundering in 2018.
— Antara News

Construction error causes main road collapse in Indonesia
The Head of BNPB, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, said the ground collapse incident in Surabaya was caused by a construction error, not an earthquake.
— News8000.com (video)

Indonesia’s Oct crude exports tumble as Jakarta aims more domestic use
Indonesia’s crude and condensate exports fell sharply in October, while imports of both items also declined in the same month, according to the latest data from Statistics Indonesia.
— Hellenic Shipping News

Groups warn Indonesia app ‘risks worsening’ religious intolerance
Indonesian human rights lawyer Ranto Sibarani is trying to remain optimistic.
— Aljazeera

E-commerce Growing Among Internet Savvy Indonesians
With more than 140 million Internet users, Indonesia’s e-commerce industry has grown rapidly in the past decade, leading to calls for more government regulation in the sector.
— Voice of America

Philippines seeks more favorable trade terms with Indonesia
The Philippines is asking Indonesia to relax its protocol in a bid to correct the trade imbalance which is in favor of the ASEAN neighboring country.
— The Philippine Star

Southeast Asia’s biggest economies are diverging on rate action
The two biggest economies in Southeast Asia are on different interest rate paths: Thailand looks ready to kick off its hiking cycle while Indonesia is nearing the end.
— The Edge Markets

When visitors become workers
Recent reports have revealed that Indonesia is hoping to attract 3.5 million Chinese tourists to visit various tourist destinations in the country next year.
— The Asean Post

Healing the Indonesian medical industry
According to a 2015 report by consultancy firm Roland Berger, around 600,000 Indonesians visit overseas hospitals every year to receive treatment due to lack of trust and lack of advanced medical facilities in the Indonesian healthcare system.
— Enterprise Innovation

Bank of Indonesia and Bogor Agricultural University develop new ‘super’ garlic
The Surakarta branch of the Bank of Indonesia has initiated the development of a “super” garlic variety in Karanganyar regency, in Central Java, in a bid to help reduce imports of the commodity.
— Fresh Plaza

HOW PRICE OF SUGAR COULD SWING THE INDONESIAN ELECTION (AND IT’S BITTERSWEET FOR JOKO WIDODO)
Last week, a delegation from India arrived in Jakarta to discuss the sale of raw sugar to Indonesia.
— South China Morning Post

Reducing Oil and Gas Import will Positively Impact Indonesia
Coordinating Minister of Maritime Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan claims to have prepared several strategies to reduce Indonesia`s oil and gas imports to avoid trade balance deficit in the long run.
— Tempo.co

Indonesia: Sufficient agricultural produce to last through the monsoon
Borneo’s Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (Fama) is confident there will be enough supplies of vegetables and other crops throughout the country, to cope with the monsoon season.
— Fresh Plaza

PH, Indonesia renew MOU for education dev’t
The Department of Education (DepEd), led by Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones, and the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia renewed their productive cooperation under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) during a welcome dinner for Education Minister Prof. Dr. Muhadjir Effendy held Tuesday at the Summit Lounge of Holiday Inn Manila Galleria, Ortigas Center, Pasig City.
— Philippine News Agency

E-commerce Growing Among Internet Savvy Indonesians
With more than 140 million Internet users, Indonesia’s e-commerce industry has grown rapidly in the past decade, leading to calls for more government regulation in the sector.
— VOA Cambodia

Why do people in Indonesia still live in disaster-prone areas?
The earthquakes and tsunami in Central Sulawesi that killed more than 2,000 people in September 2018 did not only leave a deep sorrow. It made us rethink the relationship between humans, technology and nature in Indonesia.
— phys.org

VW plans to build car factory in Indonesia
Car maker, Volkswagen (VW), which is based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany, plans to build a car factory in Indonesia, a government official said.
— Antara News

Plan to ban plastic bags in Jakarta met with mixed response
Retail businesses in Jakarta are ready to welcome a regulation banning single-use plastic bags, while business associations are criticizing the move.
— The Jakarta Post

Ministry to promote Indonesian culinary through gastro diplomacy
Indonesia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry would promote the country`s culinary to world communities through its gastro diplomacy.
— Antara News

Police seize 18 kg of crystal meth in Riau province
Police in the Indonesian province of Riau have seized 18 kilograms (kg) of crystal meth and 18,750 ecstasy pills of Happy Five type allegedly for consumption during the New Year 2019 celebrations.
— Antara News

Indonesia struggling to achieve fixed broadband target
The Communications and Information Ministry is struggling to increase the number of fixed broadband users, which is still far behind the target stated in Government Regulation No. 96/2014 on broadband planning for 2014 to 2019.
— The Jakarta Post

Bandung should become place for cultivating tolerance: Foreign Minister
Bandung should become a place for cultivating world tolerance and peace owing to its track record of uniting Asian and African countries through the Asia-Africa Conference in 1955, Foreign Minister Retno L.
— Antara News

Indramayu migrant worker lost contact for 16 years in Saudi
Sarifah, 33, an Indonesian migrant worker in Saudi Arabia, lost contact with her family in Indramayu District of West Java for 16 years, and relatives have urged the government to help find her.
— Antara News

PVMBG: Status of 20 Indonesian Volcanoes Above Normal
The Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Agency (PVMBG) said volcanic activities of 20 Indonesian mountains are above normal.
— Tempo.co

How Radisson’s Foray Into Indonesia Was Undone by Betrayal
A sense of betrayal, conflict of interest, and constant changes at the global hotel chain all contributed to the breakup of Radisson Hotel Group’s joint venture with Panorama Group to expand Radisson brands in Indonesia.
— Skift

Firebrand cleric Habib Bahar bin Smith arrested for assault on minors, police say he was going to run away using a fake name
Firebrand cleric Habib Bahar bin Smith, who has recently been the subject of controversy after he made sexist, racist and transphobic remarks about President Joko Widodo, was arrested yesterday by the West Java Police for physically assaulting two minors, aged 17 and 18.
— Coconuts Jakarta (paywall)

What is the Corporate Structure in Indonesia?
Corporate structure in Indonesia is the same for most foreign-owned companies. However, it is often that the organisational layout in Indonesia is confusing foreign entrepreneurs.
— Indonesia Expat

Securing Raw Materials Key to Competitiveness of Indonesia’s Textile Industry
Indonesia is set to become one of the top five textile and textile product producers in the world by 2030, and the Ministry of Trade is forging ahead with its Making Indonesia 4.0 roadmap, which prioritizes the development of a number of industries, including the textile sector.
— Jakarta Globe

Madura`s ulemas support incumbent Jokowi
Several ulemas, or Islamic scholars, from Madura Island, East Java Province, have voiced their support to presidential incumbent Joko Widodo (Jokowi).
— Antara News

Police reroute traffic due to road subsidence on Gubeng highway
The Police have rerouted traffic following road subsidence on Gubeng Highway in the East Java provincial capital of Surabaya on Tuesday night.
— Antara News

Biodiesel policy fails to reduce diesel fuel imports: BPS
The mandatory distribution of a 20 percent blend of biodiesel ( B20 ) that was launched in early September has not reduced diesel fuel imports.
— The Jakarta Post

Indonesia to not join IMCTC but shares similar spirit
Indonesia will not join the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC), a military alliance, since the country`s 1945 Constitution states that Indonesia is a non-aligned nation, according to an official.
— Antara News

Erroneous construction allegedly caused road subsidence on Gubeng highway
The Surabaya city government has alleged that road subsidence on Gubeng Highway on Tuesday night resulted from the construction of a three-story basement at Siloam Hospital.
— Antara News

PLN guarantees adequate electricity for Christmas, year-end festivities in Labuan Bajo
The government has given a guarantee that the electricity supply in Labuan Bajo, a tourist resort branded as a “New Bali” in East Nusa Tenggara, would remain more than enough for tourists and residents to celebrate the Christmas and New Year’s Eve celebrations.
— The Jakarta Post

Minister proposes minimum age of marriage at 20 years
Minister of Women`s Empowerment and Child Protection (PPPA) Yohana Yembise has proposed a minimum age of marriage, namely 20 years for women and 22 years for men, after the decision of the Constitutional Court (MK) on Law Number 1 of 1974 about marriage.
— Antara News

Ministry blocks hundreds of illegal fintech platforms
The Ministry of Communication and Informatics has blocked hundreds of software applications and websites of financial technology (fintech) companies that did not possess government licenses.
— Antara News

Securing Raw Materials Key to Competitiveness of Indonesia’s Textile Industry
Indonesia is set to become one of the top five textile and textile product producers in the world by 2030, and the Ministry of Trade is forging ahead with its Making Indonesia 4.
— Jakarta Globe

Trilateral dialogue promotes rules-based order: advisor
Indonesia-Australia-The Netherlands Policy Dialogue is expected to develop proposals for trilateral cooperation in an effort to promote the Rules-Based Order in the wider Indo-Pacific region.
— Antara News

From Jakarta to Buenos Aires, the World Feels Fed’s Sting
When the United States Federal Reserve kept lifting interest rates this year, a world away in Jakarta profits dropped to next to nothing at Andy Kurniawan’s shop selling collectible action figures.
— Jakarta Globe

Indonesia has strong belief in international law: Ambassador
Dutch Ambassador to Indonesia, Rob Swartbol, stated that Indonesia, Australia, and The Netherlands are middle powers with a strong belief in the rule of the international law from a geo-political perspective.
— Antara News

Moody’s Analytics wins in Regulation Asia Awards for Excellence 2018
Moody’s Analytics, a global provider of financial intelligence, has won for Best Solution in Risk Data Management and earned the Highly Commended distinction for Best Regulatory Reporting Solution in the Regulation Asia .
— Antara News

 

Feature photo PRI/ Jess Engebretson

This week’s Indonesia morning news feature photo acknowledges Arabic Language Day, December 18.

 

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.

 

The following two tabs change content below.

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.

Support independent media by sharing using these tools. Do not steal our content

Make a comment

Your email address will not be published.