Indonesia Morning News For January 9, 2019

Bank Indonesia Reports Improvement in Consumer Confidence Index
The latest Bank Indonesia consumer survey revealed that the Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) improved in November of 2018, scoring from 122.7 to 127.0.
— Tempo.co

Indonesia sells 8.655 trln rupiah of Islamic bonds
Indonesia’s finance ministry sold 8.655 trillion rupiah ($611.88 million) of Islamic bonds at an auction on Tuesday, above the indicative target of 8 trillion rupiah, its financing and risk management office said.
— Salaam Gateway/ Reuters

First new poll results of 2019 shows Jokowi still with commanding lead over Prabowo, 54.9% to 34.8%
Do you think Prabowo has a shot at overcoming Jokowi’s lead with just about 3 months left before the election?
— Coconuts Jakarta

Indonesia sets lower coal production target to help stabilize global price
The government has lowered its coal production target for this year to 480 million tons in an effort to stabilize the global coal price, an official has said.
— The Jakarta Post

Indonesia to focus on Shariah financing to fund infrastructure projects in 2019
Indonesia will dip further into Islamic sovereign bond sales this year to fund infrastructure projects, relying less on global investors and expediting a deepening of its financial markets.
— Gulf Times

Finance Ministry Mulls Income Tax Reduction on Corporate Taxpayer
The Finance Ministry is considering a reduction in the tariff of income tax on corporate taxpayers to improve the competitive edge of the national industry.
— Tempo.co

Jabodetabek`s traffic congestion inflicts Rp65 trillion in losses: Jokowi
President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has stated that traffic congestion in and around Jakarta has inflicted some Rp65 trillion in losses per year.
— Antara News

PDRM to boost Sarawak-Indonesia border security
The Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) will boost the security at the Malaysian border between Sarawak and Indonesia following the kidnap of five people in the jungle near Kampung Danau Melikin, Dec 11 by the Indonesian security forces.
— Daily Express

Indonesian elections — challenger missing his chances
Three fatal disasters in succession could have been a gift for Prabawo Subianto, the Indonesian former lieutenant general, who is challenging President Joko Widodo in this year’s presidential election.
— Nikkei Asian Review (paywall)

Widodo administration’s authoritarian measures continue to weaken Indonesian democracy
AS MADELEINE Albright wrote in her brilliant take on the rise of authoritarian regimes, Fascism: A Warning, the Italian dictator Mussolini was once quoted as saying that when accumulating power it is best to do so as one would pluck a chicken – feather by feather – “so each squawk is heard apart from every other and the whole process is kept as muted as possible”.
— The Business Times

Indonesia mulls tobin tax on foreign capitals to prevent short term flows
The Indonesian government is considering to apply tobin tax on foreign capitals, a move aiming at encouraging foreign capitals to park in a longer period in the country, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said on Tuesday.
— Xinhua

Protest against Muslim group draws flack in Indonesia
Muslim hardliners in Indonesia have come under fire from rights activists for breaking up a recent book launch held by members of an Ahmadiyya group.
— UCA News

Indonesia to double disaster relief budget in 2019 after year of tragedies
ndonesia will more than double its disaster response budget to 15 trillion rupiah ($1.06 billion) in 2019, officials said on Tuesday, after a series of major natural disasters devastated three regions of the vast archipelago last year.
— Reuters

‘New chapter of persecution’: Indonesia cracks down on West Papua separatists
Indonesian forces have raided and allegedly destroyed the offices of the West Papuan liberation group, taking over one site in what lawyers for the group claim is an “illegal occupation”.
— The Guardian

Hazy figures cloud Indonesia’s peat restoration as fire season looms
Indonesia has restored degraded peatlands the size of a million football fields in the three years since President Joko Widodo launched an ambitious program aimed at preventing a repeat of some of the worst forest fires in the country’s history.
— Mongabay

Philippines seeks balance trade with Indonesia
The Philippines may impose stricter trade measures against Indonesia after the ASEAN neighboring country decided not to ease up on its protocols and open their market access.
— The Philippine Star

Sri Mulyani Denies Doubled Social Fund Due to Upcoming Election
Finance Minister Sri Mulyani denied the allegation saying that the two-fold increase of social funds or locally known Bansos was related to the election in April 2019. She opined the hike was set considering the amount of the assistance had never been raised since 2012.
— Tempo.co

Why Indonesia’s military and police can’t get along
When Indonesian police dragged their feet investigating an assault on uniformed Marine Captain Agus Komaruddin by thugs running a carpark protection racket in South Jakarta last month, they were taught a lesson they won’t likely soon forget.
— Asia Times

Finance Update: Preliminary Data Show Improving Conditions in 2018
Despite challenging circumstances that trigger capital outflows from emerging markets – mostly related to the ongoing tariff war between the United States and China, monetary tightening in developed nations, US President Donald Trump’s unpredictable style of leadership, and rising crude oil prices in the first three quarters of the year (that cause pressure on net oil importers) – Indonesia ended 2018 in good financial health.
— Indonesia Investments

Indonesia earthquake: Magnitude 6.6 earthquake strikes Indonesia
An earthquake with a revised magnitude of 6.6 has struck 174km north-northwest of the city of Ternate in Indonesia’s Molucca islands, but there is thought to be no tsunami risk.
— Intellasia

‘Everything’s moving’: Indonesia seeks global pushback on illegal fishing
When Indonesian authorities seized a notorious fishing boat last April carrying 30 kilometers (18 miles) of illegal gillnets, they found they had essentially caught a ghost.
— Mongabay

Confidence Returns to Indonesia’s Financial Markets
After a steep correction last year and pressure on the rupiah, Indonesia expects stability to return to its financial markets this year as foreign capital starts flowing back into the domestic market.
— Jakarta Globe

MR vaccine services to continue after campaign officially ends
The Health Ministry has promised to continue with measles-rubella (MR) vaccinations after a nationwide immunization drive officially ended on Tuesday.
— The Jakarta Post

Indonesia’s Naval Modernization in Focus with New Fast Attack Craft Order
Late last month, Indonesia reportedly finalized a new order for fast attack craft that had been earlier mulled. The deal spotlighted Jakarta’s continuing efforts to boost its maritime capabilities despite the challenges that remain.
— The Diplomat

Minister Marsudi calls for reduction of plastic waste
Foreign Affairs Minister Retno L. P. Marsudi has called for reduction of plastic waste by using refillable bottles and reusable straws and bags.
— Antara News

KinerjaPay Corp. Signed Major Investment Agreement With PT. Investa Wahana Development (Wahana Group)
KinerjaPay Corp., a Delaware corporation (OTCQB: KPAY), a digital payment and e-commerce platform, (“KinerjaPay” or the “Company”) announced that it has received a signed commitment from PT. Investa Wahana Group, Indonesia to invest $200 million, subscribing for $100 million in shares of the Company’s Series F and an addition $100 million in shares of the Company’s Series G Convertible Preferred Stock.
— AEC News Today/ PR Newswire (media release)

India exploring sale of BrahMos cruise missile to Indonesia
India is exploring the possibility of selling the BrahMos cruise missile to Indonesia, and a team from the Indo-Russian joint venture that makes the weapon system visited a state-run shipyard in Surabaya last year to assess the fitting of the missile on Indonesian warships, people familiar with developments said.
— Hindustantimes

Police Arrest Hoax Creator on Cast Ballots
The National Police has arrested a suspected creator of hoax news on seven containers of cast ballots for the presidential election in April 2019.
— Tempo.co

Lion Air Paid Baggage Policy to Take Effect in Next Two Weeks
Lion Air has not yet imposed its paid baggage policy which was planned to take effect today, January 8, following an order from Air Transportation Directorate General of Transportation Ministry that the low-cost carrier must conduct dissemination on the new rule to the public.
— Tempo.co

Angkasa Pura i served 4.6 passengers during Christmas and New Year holidays
State airport operator PT Angkasa Pura I served 4.6 million passengers during the Christmas 2018 and New Year 2019 holidays.
— Antara News

West Pasaman holds Mount Talamau coffee festival
West Pasaman District in West Sumatra Province is organizing the first Mount Talamau Coffee Festival on Jan 7-10, 2018, to promote locally grown coffee internationally.
— Antara News

Dreaming of Milan: Photo of Indonesian kids playing at ‘San Siro’ goes viral
The pic, captured by a photographer in Makassar, was also liked by an AC Milan player
— Coconuts (paywall)

US-China trade war is good for Indonesia: Indonesian V-P
he US-China trade war is beneficial to Indonesia as it could lead to a shift in production to other countries in the region, according to Indonesian Vice-President Jusuf Kalla.
— Straits Times

Energy ministry asks PLN customer to be ‘grateful’ for 10-hour power outage
The official Twitter account of the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry was flooded with angry comments on Tuesday after it gave a tone-deaf response to a Twitter user’s complaint about a power outage.
— The Jakarta Post

Women Involve in Online Prostitution Likely be Femicide Victim
The alleged prostitution case involving national actresses has become public limelight. The National Commission of Anti-Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) considered it as a deviant case.
— Tempo.co

Trade Minister promotes domestic rattan industry
Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita said he has promoted the domestic rattan industry to grow further in accordance with President Joko Widodo`s directive.
— Antara News

Indonesia’s elections and the challenge to its democratic achievement
Indonesian politics in the past year was dominated by one major dynamic: manoeuvring and positioning in preparation for impending elections. In April 2019, Indonesia will hold its fifth national elections since the country initiated the transition to democracy in 1998.
— Intellasia

Feature photo Basarnas

This week’s Indonesia morning news feature photo depicts the effects of Tsunami on Sunda Strait in Indonesia’s Banten and Lampung regions.

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.

Indonesia morning news for January 9 added by Stella-maris Ewudolu on January 9, 2019
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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.