GENERAL NEWS AND HEADLINES

Jokowi bans ‘mudik’ as Ramadan approaches
The Jakarta Post (https://tinyurl.com/ya69yka5); Kompas (https://tinyurl.com/y8hkwfu3); TribunNews (https://tinyurl.com/yadl6k7g); CNN Indonesia (https://tinyurl.com/yarvbowm)

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has announced his decision to ban the Idul Fitri mudik (exodus) to curb the spread of COVID-19 ahead of Ramadan.

"Based on field research and a survey conducted by the Transportation Ministry, we found that 68 percent of people had decided to not participate in the annual exodus,  while 24 percent still insisted on leaving and 7 percent had already left," Jokowi said in a teleconferenced limited Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

He said the government would prepare the necessary measures to enforce the ban. 

The decision is an about-face from the Jokowi administration's previous policy of merely advising the public not to participate in mudik. 

 

Court to hold Perppu judicial review on April 28
TribunNews (https://tinyurl.com/y7va6en2); CNN Indonesia (https://tinyurl.com/y7r6u63e)

The Constitutional Court is to hold the first judicial review session of Regulation in Lieu of Law (Perppu) No. 1/2020 on state financial policy and system stability for handing COVID-19 on April 28.

Summons have been received by the Indonesian Anticorruption Community (MAKI), Damai Hari Lubis and those involved in the Amien Rais case.

The hearing would be attended by a maximum of thee people due to the COVID-19 outbreak, while other trial participants were advised to use online facilities or other electronic media as an alternative to being inside the courtroom during the hearing.

 

Police prohibit May Day demonstration
CNN Indonesia (https://tinyurl.com/ycd3ghbl)

The Indonesian National Police Headquarters (Mabes Polri) has released a statement prohibiting all demonstrations and rallies conducted by labor organizations on April 30 to commemorate May Day due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Asep Adi Saputra said that this was in accordance with Police Chief Declaration No. Mak/2/III/2020 concerning compliance with government policies in handling the transmission of COVID-19. Asep added that due to the large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) currently being implemented by a number of regions in Indonesia, all rallies would immediately be dispersed by the local police.

Furthermore, Jakarta Police spokesperson Sr. Com. Yusri Yunus said that the rallies would violate the PSBB policy. He asserted that police officers would have to forcefully disperse rally participants if they do not cooperate and insist on carrying on with the protest.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS NEWS AND HEADLINES

Cancelation of BPJS Kesehatan premiums hike effective from April
CNBC Indonesia, (https://tinyurl.com/y72z7d86); CNN Indonesia, (https://tinyurl.com/ycsa54v3); Kompas, (https://tinyurl.com/ychl87ry) 

Coordinating Human Development and Culture Minister Muhadjir Effendy has said the cancelation of the Health Care and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan) premiums hike will take effect on April 1. The premiums for third-class service will be returned to Rp 25,500 (US$1.63), second-class service to Rp 51,000 and first-class service to Rp 80,000. Excess premium payments made in April would be included in the following month, Muhadjir said.

 

Chicken farmers plea for govt assistance
CNN Indonesia, (https://tinyurl.com/y92ypx4k); Tirto, (https://tinyurl.com/y7zr9dd6) 

State-owned livestock company PT Berdikari president director Harry Warganegara urged the government to include chicken meat in its social assistance program and staple food packages as a strategy to protect farmers from a sharp fall in prices caused by the COVID-19 pandemic during a meeting with the House of Representatives on Monday. The broiler price at the farm gate level has dropped from Rp 12,000 (77 US cents) per kilogram to as low as Rp 4,000 per kg, which is not enough to cover production costs, reported at Rp 17,000 per kg. PT Berdikari had bought 500,000 chickens at the price of Rp 17,500 per kg from independent breeders since last week, Harry added. The Indonesian Breeders Associations said there was an oversupply of day-old chickens at 65.4 million, which is the equivalent of 18,469 pieces of chicken meat.

 

Aquafeed producers agree to suspend price hike
Investor Daily, (https://tinyurl.com/yankb66h); Tempo, (https://tinyurl.com/ybp3zk97) 

Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Edhy Prabowo has said 41 aquafeed producers, which are represented by the Indonesian Feed Millers Association (GPMT), agreed to suspend the aquafeed prices hike following a meeting attended by Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita and representatives from the Office of the Coordinating Economic Minister and the Office of the Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister. Edhy also urged 21 producers that had already increased their feed prices to undo the change. Agus supported the suspension, citing the importance of an affordable feed supply for the aquaculture industry, particularly the whiteleg shrimp farming industry, which is focused on the export market.

 

Agriculture Ministry partners with Tokopedia to market livestock products
Investor daily, (https://tinyurl.com/ybj5lr82) 

The Agriculture Ministry’s livestock and animal health director general, I Ketut Diarmita, has said the ministry is partnering with e-commerce platform Tokopedia to market livestock products produced by the ministry’s foster farmers. Ketut said the partnership with Tokopedia was intended to support farmers in generating additional income amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Previously, the ministry partnered with other technology start-ups such as Blibi, Gojek and Grab.

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