GENERAL NEWS AND HEADLINES  

President establishes steering committee and bureaucracy reform team
Tempo (https://tinyurl.com/w922tf5)

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has announced the establishment of the National Bureaucratic Reform Steering Committee and Reform Team for the 2020 to 2024 period, based on Presidential Decree (Keppres) No. 8/2020 on the National Bureaucratic Reform Steering Committee and National Bureaucratic Reform Team signed on March 18.

The steering committee would be reporting directly to the President and would include five coordinating ministers and the head of the presidential staff. The committee is responsible for setting the direction of Indonesia’s national policy as a basis for bureaucratic reform.

Meanwhile, the reform team would include four ministers and the Cabinet secretary. The team would report to the steering committee and is responsible for formulating operational policies and strategies, as well as monitoring and evaluating all progress made on the bureaucratic reform.

According to the Keppres, all expenses related to the establishment of both the steering committee and reform team would depend on the budget provided by the Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform Ministry.

 

‘Mudik’ begins on Java while government considers travel ban
The Jakarta Post (https://tinyurl.com/vnzta3c)

Although the government has yet to decide whether to ban this year’s Idul Fitri mudik (exodus), many of Jakarta’s workers have reportedly returned to their home towns across Java despite warnings against traveling and gathering in public.

Some consider it an opportunity to go on mudik early as business has slowed or their offices have closed because of the COVID-19 outbreak – even though Idul Fitri is not expected until late May.

The Transportation Ministry is currently considering a ban of this year’s Idul Fitri mudik and has yet to reach a final decision. The ministry’s spokesperson, Adita Irawati, said there might be some “uncommon policy”. Both the Jakarta Transportation Agency and the Transportation Ministry’s Land Transportation Directorate General have cancelled their annual free mudik programs this year, which normally transport thousands of people.

  

Govt to give cash transfers to informal sector workers
Kompas (https://tinyurl.com/rwneq6u)

The government plans to provide direct cash assistance (BLT) to citizens affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Office of Coordinating Economic Minister secretary Susiwijono said the aid would be given to communities experiencing declining purchasing power, especially because of the outbreak. Susiwijono further explained that the assistance would be provided to informal sector workers, including stall owners, online ride-hailing drivers and other micro, small and medium enterprise actors. He added that the government has begun listing the names of potential BLT recipients as determined by the Jakarta provincial government and trade associations, as well as Gojek and Grab.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS NEWS AND HEADLINES

JCI makes spectacular comeback, soars by more than 9 percent
CNBC Indonesia, (https://tinyurl.com/wpo97tx); Kontan, (https://tinyurl.com/uvrme9p) ; Investor Daily, (https://tinyurl.com/skkeuwe);The Jakarta Post, (https://tinyurl.com/rjby5al) 

The Jakarta Composite Index (JCI) was rallying up upon opening on Thursday, closing mid-day trade up 9.62 percent at 4,361.2, despite other Asian indices recording declines during the day. Foreign investors helped to prop the index up as they bought Rp 405.87 billion (US$25 million) worth of Indonesian shares. Many of them were buying blue-chip banking stocks like those of private lenders PT Bank Central Asia (BCA) and state-owned lenders PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI) and PT Bank Mandiri. The JCI’s gain went in line with the rupiah, which strengthened by more than 1 percent to Rp 16,277 per United States dollar on Thursday as of 12:45 p.m., continuing from its appreciation on Tuesday.

                                                                                                                        

Govt to rescue businesses affected by COVID-19 through recovery bonds
CNBC Indonesia, (https://tinyurl.com/sz9u6nc); Bisnis Indonesia, (https://tinyurl.com/sav6q7z); Investor Daily, (https://tinyurl.com/wa8kxm2); The Jakarta Post, (https://tinyurl.com/vrlqc8y) 

The secretary to the coordinating economic affairs minister, Susiwijono Moegiarso, said on Thursday the government would issue a regulation in lieu of law (Perppu) on Friday to facilitate the issuance of government debt papers to the market, which would be used to fund programs that rescue businesses suffering from COVID-19 and prevent layoffs. The so-called recovery bonds can be bought by Bank Indonesia, as well as by exporters and importers, Susiwijono said, adding that the Perppu would enable the central bank to buy government bonds outside of the secondary market. Companies looking to receive funds from bond sales were barred from laying off employees, he added.

 

Govt rolls out cash transfer program for underprivileged families, informal workers
The Jakarta Post, (https://tinyurl.com/utoh5yk); Kompas, (https://tinyurl.com/rwneq6u) ;Detik, (https://tinyurl.com/v9ekkxw) 

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has announced a cash transfer program for underprivileged families whose income is in the bottom 40 percent category, laid-off employees affected by COVID-19 and informal workers, including online ojek (motorcycle taxi) drivers. Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Idrawati said the government is considering raising the amount of social funds for more than 15 million underprivileged families, adding that the government would also roll out a training program and provide Rp 1 million (US$61.24) to laid-off employees for three months.

The secretary to the coordinating economic affairs minister, Susiwijono Moegiarso, said the cash transfer program targets 29.3 million underprivileged families. Currently, there are only 15.2 million families registered in the government staple foods subsidy program. The government needs to check on the remaining 14.1 million targeted families, he told reporters.

 

Blibli, Halodoc provide free telemedicine consultation service over COVID-19
Kontan, (https://tinyurl.com/rusrrjx) 

E-commerce platform Blibli.com is collaborating with health technology start-up Halodoc to provide free telemedicine consultation services about COVID-19. The services can be accessed through the “health check” feature on Blibli’s app, which will connect users with doctors registered in Halodoc’s platform. Blibli also offers another feature, called “recognizing COVID-19 symptoms”. The information is provided by Halodoc.

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