GENERAL NEWS AND HEADLINES

Travelers in Java ignore ‘mudik’ ban, bringing coronavirus home
The Jakarta Post (https://tinyurl.com/ya9otsst)

Many residents of regions across Java have been ignoring the government’s mudik (exodus) ban and are insisting on traveling home undetected, with some testing positive for COVID-19 upon arriving in their respective hometowns.

Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo said he had received reports and photographs showing travelers returning to their hometowns across the province; some even arriving by dangerous means.

“Some have put their cars inside trucks and covered them with things. There were also some who traveled in a container [on the back of a truck], although that’s not confirmed yet,” Ganjar said in Semarang on Tuesday.

 

House, KPK hold meeting on COVID-19 state budget
Kompas (https://tinyurl.com/y7sn2e2h); Kompas (https://tinyurl.com/yayyp8mq); Tempo (https://tinyurl.com/yaeqmkyw); TribunNews (https://tinyurl.com/y966htsu); TribunNews (https://tinyurl.com/y8sazznk)

The House of Representatives Commission III overseeing law, human rights and security held a virtual meeting with the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) earlier on Wednesday to discuss the antigraft body’s anticipative measures in monitoring the budget intended for COVID-19 handling.

House member Herman Hery said the teleconference was attended by 25 of the 53 members of the House Commission III, as well as KPK chairman Firli Bahuri.

During the discussion, Firli reminded the attendees of the death penalty that may await perpetrators found guilty of stealing from the COVID-19 fund. He added that the KPK would take immediate and strict action against graft perpetrators, especially during the pandemic.

 

Govt provides psychological counselling amid COVID-19
Kompas (https://tinyurl.com/y9swqe97)

The government has decided to provide counselling through a platform named Sehat Jiwa (Sejiwa) to help those struggling with mental health as a result of the pandemic.

Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko said that according to data from the Legal Aid Foundation of Indonesian Women’s Association for Justice, 59 cases of violence against women were reported between March 16 and 30 alone, 17 of which were recorded as domestic violence cases.

Moeldoko added that mental health was essential in tackling the pandemic because of its effect on the body’s immune system, noting that immune systems could weaken as psychological problems increase.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS NEWS AND HEADLINES

BI: Economic recovery to start in late June
CNBC Indonesia, (https://tinyurl.com/y7x8wmvp); Bisnis Indonesia, (https://tinyurl.com/ycdwsymh) 

Bank Indonesia expects the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic to peak in the second quarter and recovery to start in late June. “Our initial prediction was one month, but [the downturn] is likely to be longer. The worst is two and a half months. Things will start to get better from mid-June as explained by the President,” BI Governor Perry Warjiyo said. Recovery would take place in the third quarter; and, in the fourth quarter, economic growth is projected to reach 3 percent.

 

Govt prepares cash aid, subsidies for poor farmers
The Jakarta Post, (https://tinyurl.com/y7nb4pf8) 

The government plans to provide cash and production subsidies for 2.4 million poor farmers to help them maintain their harvest and survive the COVID-19 crisis. Coordinating Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto said on Tuesday that the aid comprised of Rp 300,000 (US$19.45) a month in cash assistance, plus production subsidies such as fertilizer and seeds worth another Rp 300,000. “We hope we can provide it for a three-month period,” Airlangga told an online briefing, without providing further details. Travel and social restrictions had hit farmers hard because the restrictions kept them from finding alternative sources of income outside the harvest season, Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (Indef) researcher Bustanul Arifin said.

 

Govt launches program to nurture culinary start-ups
Kontan, (https://tinyurl.com/y8kjk7c7); Tempo, (https://tinyurl.com/y8g69ojb) 

The Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry has launched FoodStartup Indonesia (FSI) 2020 in an effort to help the culinary industry that has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. The ministry’s acting director for financing, Hanifah Makarim, explained that FSI 2020 aimed to nurture culinary start-ups by introducing selected participants to investors and culinary figures, as well as providing opportunity to develop their business model. Hanifah revealed that the event had drawn 1,300 registrants, above the target set at 1,000 registrants, in a registration period that lasted from Apr. 20 to Apr. 28. Of those numbers, 100 participants will be selected for the main event in July 2020.

 

Gojek obtains capital injections from investors amid COVID-19 pandemic
Kontan, (https://tinyurl.com/ybeva4cb), (https://tinyurl.com/y9pfcloj), (https://tinyurl.com/y795jtox) 

Homegrown technology decacorn Gojek obtained a Rp 5.94 billion (US$387.941) capital injection from Google Asia Pacific – equivalent to 0.86 percent of Gojek’s total shares – in mid-March. Previously, Google held a 7.83 percent stake in the company. The new round of funding lifts Google’s share in Gojek to 8.69 percent. Besides Google, there are four other investors in Gojek up to date. On Feb. 13, PT Pusaka Citra Djokosoetono, the holding company of Blue Bird Group, injected Rp 2.97 billion into Gojek. This month, three companies, specifically East Ventures, Mandiri Capital Indonesia and Fenox Ventures, invested Rp 1.4 billion, which is equivalent to 0.173 percent.

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