GENERAL NEWS AND HEADLINES

Regional heads call for suspension of commuter line services
TribunNews (https://tinyurl.com/ybvecbqk)

Five regional heads from West Java have proposed temporarily suspending Greater Jakarta commuter train (KRL) services to support the large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) currently imposed in Bogor, Depok and Bekasi (Bodebek).

Bogor Deputy Mayor Dedie A. Rachim confirmed that the proposal was mentioned during a video conference meeting held on Monday evening. West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil said the suspension would possibly be enacted starting Saturday, April 18.

However, Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Pandjaitan expressed his reservations about halting commuter line services to Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan. Luhut argued the suspension would disrupt logistics and negatively impact residents who still needed to travel around the greater urban area.

 

Ma’ruf permitted to have 10 special staff members after Perpres amendment
Kompas (https://tinyurl.com/y7cz7v99); Liputan 6 (https://tinyurl.com/y7fxjb72); Tempo (https://tinyurl.com/yawqows5)

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has permitted Vice President Ma’ruf Amin to have up to 10 special staff members, as stipulated in Presidential Regulation (Perpres) No. 56/2020 on the third amendment of Perpres No. 17/2012 on special envoys and special staff of the president and vice president.

The Vice President’s special staff will perform tasks assigned by Ma’ruf himself, which will be outside the duties covered by ministries and other government agencies. Moreover, each special staff member is permitted to have up to two assistants.

 

Megawati instructs party cadres to mitigate PHK wave
Kompas (https://tinyurl.com/ydyzov8u)

Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri has instructed all party cadres, including regional heads and council leaders, to prepare for a wave of terminations of employment (PHK) caused by the COVID-19 outbreak.

Megawati requested government officials to immediately prepare funds needed to support labour-intensive programs that are part of the COVID-19 prevention protocols.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS NEWS AND HEADLINES

Govt postpones excise tax payments for 90 day
CNBC Indonesia, (https://tinyurl.com/yascxdo6); Bisnis Indonesia, (https://tinyurl.com/yboqtk87); Detik, (https://tinyurl.com/y994xcxr); Kompas, (https://tinyurl.com/y9e469qp) 

The Finance Ministry’s Customs and Excise Directorate General has announced a 90-day postponement of excise tax payments for manufacturers and importers to help them cope with COVID-19. According to Finance Ministerial Regulation (PMK) No. 30/PMK.04/2020, the postponement is applicable for excise stamps ordered between Apr. 9 to Jul. 9. Directorate General of Customs and Excise international and inter-institutional customs director Syarif Hidayat said the postponement was needed to improve companies’ cash flow, as well as to avoid mass layoffs.

 

Govt removes 10 projects from national strategic projects list
Kontan, (https://tinyurl.com/y8zuct9j); CNN Indonesia, (https://tinyurl.com/yctpeael) 

The government has decided to remove 10 projects from the 2019 list of 223 national strategic projects. “There are nine projects and one program whose completion date will be past 2024,” Coordinating Economic minister Airlangga Hartarto said. In addition to removing 10 projects from the list, the government is also evaluating 232 new projects that received recommendations from five ministries, 13 regional governments, four state-owned enterprises as well as a handful of private companies, Arilangga added.

 

Textile industry hit hard by COVID-19 pandemic
Bisnis Indonesia, (https://tinyurl.com/y76zddpb); Detik, (https://tinyurl.com/ycyebzw5) 

Indonesian Textile Association (API) secretary general Rizal Tanzil Rakhman said about 20 to 30 percent of workers in the industry has been furloughed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the upstream textile industry, the utilization rate currently stands at 30 percent and might drop to 20 percent by next month, Indonesian Filament and Fiber Producers Association (APSyFI) secretary general Redma Gita Wirawasta told Bisnis Indonesia. “No workers have been laid off, only furloughed. On average 35 percent of workers have been furloughed, and it has reached 60 percent for some companies,” Redma added.

 

Kasikornbank buys larger stake in Bank Maspion
CNBC Indonesia, (https://tinyurl.com/ybuxmfhu); Warta Ekonomi, (https://tinyurl.com/y8uyg9tw) 

Thailand based Kasikornbank signed an agreement to purchase 30 percent of Bank Maspion shares on Apr. 13. The acquisition will be made through Kasikornbank’s subsidiary, Kasikorn Vision (KVision). After the announcement of the acquisition today, Bank Maspion’s stock price increased by 25 percent to Rp 320 (2 US cents) in the morning session. Before the acquisition, Kasikornbank owned 10 percent of Bank Maspion’s shares.

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