GENERAL NEWS AND HEADLINES

Police record drop in crime rates between April-May
Kompas (https://tinyurl.com/y8c9ccrg); Tempo (https://tinyurl.com/y8a85rw6)

Crime rates across the country between April to May 2020 dropped by 7.9 percent or 1,216 cases, as stated by National Police spokesperson Brig. Gen Awi Setiyono during a teleconference on Monday.

Awi added that his party had recorded 14,179 felonies last month from 15,395 felonies the previous month.

Awi further detailed that the decline applied to all types of crime including conventional and transnational crimes as well as state budget abuse.

 

Jokowi asks social affairs minister to ensure fair aid distribution
Kompas (https://tinyurl.com/y9jx6v2t); TribunNews (https://tinyurl.com/y9r7ll56)

Presidential spokesperson Fadjroel Rachman said that President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo had been paying serious attention to residents affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, particularly those who had yet to receive social aid (Bansos). Fadjroel’s statement came shortly after a survey conducted by Jakarta-based pollster Indikator Politik Indonesia found that 60.3 percent of respondents believed that social aid distribution had yet to reach the targeted deadline in May.

Jokowi, according to Fadjroel, asked the Social Affairs Ministry to assess all locations to ensure that the aid reached all residents entitled to it.

Fadjroel explained that several social aid schemes provided by the central government included the Family Hope Program (PKH) conditional cash transfer, staple food packages, cash transfers (BLT), as well as free electricity.

 

House’s Baleg holds hearing on job creation omnibus bill
Kompas (https://tinyurl.com/ycyzfmp3)

The House of Representatives Legislative Body (Baleg) held a public hearing on Tuesday to gather input from experts on the job creation omnibus bill.

The hearing, which was held virtually, was attended by Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) chairman Rosan Roeslani and Ibnu Khaldun University academic M. Nova.

Baleg chairman Supratman Andi Agtas deemed the opinion of the two experts necessary as they would provide an overview of the urgency of easing investment licensing as stipulated in the bill.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS NEWS AND HEADLINES

World Bank: Indonesian economy to recover in 2021
CNBC Indonesia, (https://tinyurl.com/ybjupf4o); Kompas, (https://tinyurl.com/y89zh56y) 

The World Bank predicts the Indonesian economy will suffer from stagnation this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic that has forced many countries to institute lockdowns, but the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to grow again next year at a rate of 4.8 percent. Meanwhile, the East Asia and Pacific region – which Indonesia belongs to – is projected to grow 0.5 percent before rebounding next year at 6.9 percent. The bank is also concerned with the COVID-19 spread in Indonesia as it has not reached its peak yet. On the other hand, COVID-19 pandemic in China, Malaysia, and Vietnam has already subsided.

 

BPK warns govt over potential problem in PEN
Bisnis Indonesia, (https://tinyurl.com/y9a5sgn5); Kompas, (https://tinyurl.com/yb74n7xc) 

The Supreme Audit Agency has warned the government over a potential problem in the national economic recovery (PEN) program. According to the agency investigative audit, there is a similarity between the PEN, the high-profile Bank Indonesia liquidity support (BLBI) case, and the Bank Century bailout scandal. “The required amount for a bailout keeps increasing, because there was no mitigation plan,” BPK deputy chairman Agus Joko Pramono said.

 

Finance Ministry issues regulation on anchor bank
Bisnis Indonesia, (https://tinyurl.com/y6uvfrd6); CNBC Indonesia, (https://tinyurl.com/y7dw7cfa) 

The Finance Ministry has issued Finance Ministerial Regulation (PMK) No. 64/PMK.05/2020 concerning an anchor bank. The regulation was signed by Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati last Friday and goes into effect immediately. The ministry’s treasury directorate general will send a notification letter to the president director of potential anchor bank nominees so that they can prepare the required documents immediately. The anchor banks will be responsible for distributing the liquidity injection to recipient banks. To become eligible for the fund, recipient banks must participate in the government’s nationwide debt restructuration program. The liquidity injection will be financed through the state budget, specifically Bank Indonesia’s government bond (SBN) buying program.

 

Garuda to increase passenger limit following new transportation regulation
Kontan, (https://tinyurl.com/ycrjykyg); CNN Indonesia, (https://tinyurl.com/y8gsg3wp, https://tinyurl.com/y9dkr2be) 

National flag carrier Garuda Indonesia has announced that it will increase the maximum capacity of passengers to 70 percent, from 50 percent previously, following the issuance of Transportation Ministerial Regulation (Permenhub) No. 41/2020. Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi signed the regulation on Monday to relax physical distancing measures on all forms of public transportation. The new regulation removed the 50 percent maximum capacity measure not only for airlines, but also various forms of land water transportation. The new maximum capacity figures will be outlined in a circular from the Transportation Ministry.

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