GENERAL NEWS AND HEADLINES

PAN to support deliberation of all but labor provisions in job creation omnibus bill
Detik (https://tinyurl.com/yd7pery6)

The National Mandate Party (PAN) has agreed with the government and the House of Representatives’ decision to postpone the deliberation of labor provisions within the omnibus bill on job creation, as asserted by PAN secretary-general Eddy Soeparno.

Eddy, however, said that, excluding labor-related articles, his party would still support the deliberation of the remaining cluster within the contentious bill. He added that his party, therefore, would not withdraw its representatives from the House’s job creation omnibus bill working committee (Panja).

Eddy asserted the bill was necessary to simplify business licencing and attract investment to the country.

 

More than 2,200 Indonesians have died with coronavirus symptoms, data show
The Jakarta Post (https://tinyurl.com/yb9prspx)

More than 2,200 Indonesians have died with acute symptoms of COVID-19 but were not recorded as victims of the disease, a Reuters review of data from 16 of the country's 34 provinces showed.

Three medical experts said the figures indicated the national death toll was likely to be much higher than the official figure of 765.

Indonesia has one of the lowest testing rates in the world and some epidemiologists say that has made it harder to get an accurate picture of the extent of infections in the world's fourth-most-populous country.

The latest data from the 16 provinces show there were 2,212 deaths of patients under supervision because they had acute coronavirus symptoms. Indonesia's health ministry uses the acronym PDP to classify these patients when there is no other clinical explanation for their symptoms.

 

Acting deputy attorney general appointed
Kompas (https://tinyurl.com/y7semcdt); TribunNews (https://tinyurl.com/y7s8unn6)

Attorney general Sanitiar Burhanuddin has appointed Attorney General Office (AGO) junior attorney Bambang Sugeng Rukmono to temporarily fill the deputy attorney general position, which was left vacant following the death of then-deputy attorney general Arminsyah due to a car crash earlier this month.

As acting deputy attorney general, Bambang will continue conducting the established work program, which was previously adjusted in accordance with the COVID-19 pandemic, as affirmed by AGO spokesman Hari Setiyono in a written statement.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS NEWS AND HEADLINES

 

Toll road traffic drops 42 to 60 percent after PSBB and ‘mudik’ ban
Kontan, (https://tinyurl.com/y8seye3p); Tempo, (https://tinyurl.com/ycycdauf) 

The Public Works and Housing Ministry has revealed that toll road traffic in Jakarta, West Java and Banten has dropped significantly, within the range of 42 to 60 percent. “Traffic is dominated by local mobility within Greater Jakarta, as well as logistics,” Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono said in a statement today. The sharp decline in traffic has hit toll road operators’ income, which in turn will affect their loan payments to banks. To address this issue, Basuki has requested a relaxation on bank loan payments for toll road operators.

 

Govt pushes to realize property sector stimulus in May
Bisnis Indonesia, (https://tinyurl.com/y7tz9wn7) 

The government’s stimulus program for the property sector, in the form of additional quota for interest rate subsidies for housing loan instalments (SSB), which was launched on Apr. 1, is not operational yet. The Public Works and Housing Ministry’s director for public house financing, Adang Sutara, said the request for additional SSB quota was still being reviewed by the Finance Ministry’s budgeting directorate general. “Hopefully, we will be able to realize the additional quota in May,” he added. Indonesian Settlement and Housing Developers Association (Apersi) secretary-general Daniel Djumali said the stimulus was needed to maintain property developers’ cash flow as well as to avoid layoffs.

 

Jakarta administration to revise tax revenue target
Kontan, (https://tinyurl.com/yak6tqzg) 

Jakarta administration spokesperson Arismansyah said the administration had collected Rp 8.3 trillion (US$537.4 million) of revenue from local taxes and retributions year-to-date, for the year ending Apr. 27. Arismansyah also said this year’s tax revenue target would be reduced. “We are still calculating the amount of reduction,” he added. To soften the economic impact of COVID-19, the Jakarta administration has abolished local tax penalties through the issuance of Jakarta Gubernatorial Regulation No. 36/2020.

 

Bank Banten to merge with Bank BJB
CNBC Indonesia, (https://tinyurl.com/yb9l3vc6), (https://tinyurl.com/y8yxhk78); Tempo, (https://tinyurl.com/yc9nrpwt) 

Publicly listed Bank Pembangunan Daerah Jawa Barat dan Banten (Bank BJB) has responded to questions from stock analysts regarding its merger plan with Banten Regional Development Bank (Bank Banten). “Valuation and due diligence processes, as well as approval from shareholders are underway,” Bank BJB president director Yuddy Renaldi told analysts in a Tuesday meeting. Bank BJB is also taking over loans to civil servants from Bank Banten, he added. In January, Bank BJB recorded 9.1 percent year-on-year (yoy) credit growth to Rp 82.7 trillion (US$5.35 billion), above the national average of 6.1 percent, while maintaining its non-performing loan (NPL) ratio at 1.65 percent, below the national average of 2.56 percent.

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