Jokowi Forms New Task Forces to Push Investment, Ease Bottlenecks
President Joko Widodo has issued regulations to create two new task forces to help increase investment through both promotion and easing obstacles faced by investors. The action is intended to deepen the impact of the Omnibus Job Creation Law.
The first, Presidential Decree 10/2021, is to push economic growth and expand employment opportunities. The resulting Job Creation Law Socialization Task Force, or Omnibus Satgas, will be headed by deputy foreign minister Mahendra Siregar and is to push for more investment and employment in line with the Omnibus Law. The task force will include three veteran officials as deputies – Suahasil Nazara (deputy finance minister), Chatib Basri (former finance minister) and Raden Pardede (Executive Secretary of the Covid-19 Response and Economic Recovery Committee). Presidential Special Staff Arif Budimanta will be the secretary.
In addition, an Investment Acceleration Task Force has been established by Presidential Decree 11/2021 and is designed to help with the realization of investments, resolving regulatory issues, accelerating business in sectors that could boost foreign reserves and employment and contribute to regional and local economic development. It has the power to push partnerships between investors and small enterprises and to recommend administrative sanctions against officials who hamper the process of investing. Investment minister Bahlil Lahadalia will lead the task force, along with Deputy Chief Prosecutor Untung Arimuladi and Deputy Police Chief Gatot Eddy Pramono.
Related links:
- https://www.cnnindonesia.com/ekonomi/20210527093513-532-647268/jokowi-bentuk-satgas-percepatan-investasi
- https://www.cnbcindonesia.com/news/20210519132156-4-246670/jokowi-bentuk-satgas-cipta-kerja-ada-mahendra-chatib-basri
Indonesia in Talks with 7 Countries over Travel Corridors
Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno said he met with the ambassadors of seven countries to facilitate the setting up of travel corridor arrangements (TCAs) as Indonesia prepares to reopen its borders to international holidaymakers.
Sandiaga met with the ambassadors of Belgium, France, Russia, Singapore, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Vietnam in a closed-door meeting on May 18 to discuss the TCAs.
Related link:
- https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2021/05/27/indonesia-in-travel-corridor-talks-with-seven-countries.html (Subscription required for full story)
Jakarta Ranks Worst in Pandemic Control
Jakarta has received the worst ranking in the country in terms of regional control of Covid-19 cases, according to deputy health minister Dante Saksono. Each province was ranked with grades from A (best) to E (worst); Jakarta was the only one to receive an E grade, due to rising hospital bed occupancy rates and poor tracking of cases. Most provinces received a D grade, with only 10 provinces receiving a C grade.
Dante reiterated the importance of testing, tracing, and treatment in responding to increased virus transmissions, and to enforce public activity restrictions should other actions fail to curb the virus.
Related link:
New Driver’s License Categories Introduced
The Indonesian national police (Polri) has rolled out Police Regulation 5/2021 on the issuance of driver’s licenses. It expands the license categories (SIM) and adds provisions on how to obtain the new licenses. SIM A (for private vehicles) and SIM B (for heavy vehicles) remain the same. However, motorcycle licenses are now based on engine capacity: SIM C (250cc and under), SIM CI (250cc to 500cc) and SIM CII (above 500cc). SIM CI and CII will apply to electric vehicles with equivalent engine capacity. Handicapped driving licenses are divided into SIM D (equivalent to SIM C) and SIM DI (equivalent to SIM A).
Arief Budiman of the Traffic Corps (Korlantas) said the regulation was now in place, but its implementation will be conducted in parallel with the required adjustments in infrastructure, including driving test tools in SIM administration units and system updates.
Related link:
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL REGULATION
AmCham Cares: Starbucks
Starbucks celebrated the Global Month of Good in April, bringing partners (employees) and customers together to help make communities stronger. In Indonesia, partners across the market went hand-in-hand to share this goodness with the planet and community.
Since Indonesia announced its first Covid-19 cases in March 2020, Starbucks partners have consistently show their support by delivering Starbucks beverages to hospitals, especially in Jakarta.
Celebrating the month full of kindness, more than 150 partners from 26 cities across Indonesia participated to share some goodness with healthcare workers with Starbucks cups delivered to over 42 hospitals and vaccination centers. All partners ensured every cup was made with an #ExtraShotOfGood.
AmCham and US Embassy Host Event on Privacy Framework for Business
AmCham and the US Embassy, Jakarta held a “Privacy Best Practices: How Indonesian Companies Can Leverage the NIST Framework” webinar today, May 28, on how companies can better mitigate privacy risks.
NIST, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, is part of the US Department of Commerce and exists to promote technical innovation and best practices. It was founded in 1901.
Opening remarks were made by the US Embassy Charge d’Affaires Heather Variava and Director General of Informatics Application at the Ministry of Communication and Informatics (Kominfo), Semuel Abrijani Pangerapan. Both officials agreed the event was a good step in strengthening US-Indonesia relations on the issue of data privacy, especially given the ongoing debate in the DPR over the Data Privacy Law.
NIST expert Dylan Gilbert gave an overview of the NIST Privacy Framework and how Indonesian companies can apply it to their systems. The framework is designed to help an organization create or improve a privacy program to help build trust in products and services, communicate better about privacy practices, and meet compliance obligations. He said the framework is flexible enough for all organizations to use, regardless of sector or size. The event also celebrated the Indonesian translation of the NIST framework, with certificates awarded to the founder of HeyLaw, Dr Awaludin Marwan and his team for doing the translation.
Asia Regional Director of Government Affairs and Public Policy at Microsoft, Marcus Bartley Johns, spoke about good privacy policy to support Indonesia’s digital growth, while Government Affairs and Public Policy advocate at Google, Michael Rose, gave his insights on how the NIST framework has been of use to Google companies and ways in which it would benefit the Indonesian public and private sector.
They both came to the consensus that a robust privacy framework is important in developing consumer trust, which in turn will help businesses grow. The event was closed by a Q&A session moderated by Economics Section Officer at the US Embassy Tamra Greig.
The zoominar was well attended by companies, academics, and government representatives from Kominfo.
For companies interested in the NIST Privacy Framework, please refer to the link below to get a jumpstart on using the framework.
Invest in Indonesia: Opportunities in Asia’s Economic Powerhouse
The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is hosting a virtual interactive event: Invest in Indonesia: Opportunities in Asia’s Economic Powerhouse on June 3, 2021 at 21:00 WIB. This will be the second webinar in an ongoing series called Indonesia is Open for Business.
The event aims to illustrate what makes Indonesia so compelling to investors through discussions with policymakers and experts.
President Joko Widodo and senior members of his cabinet are scheduled to speak.
You can confirm your attendance through the link below. Registration will close on June 1.
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In these difficult times, our hometown English language newspaper, The Jakarta Post, is more important than ever. Given the difficulties of physical circulation and the economic slump, the Post needs to boost its online subscribers – a goal we heartily support at AmCham Indonesia. Quality English language news is vital for our businesses, our home offices, and the flow of information out of Indonesia. It is for this reason, that we are urging all of our members and readers to subscribe to JP! Information is what will help get us through this crisis. Below is information about how to sign up.
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AmCham Office and Events
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The AmCham Office is on the work-from-home status and all face-to-face meetings and events have been postponed. We are having a number of meetings online using the Zoom platform. You will be notified of virtual meetings as they are scheduled.
What is Your Company Doing on COVID-19?
Please let us know what measures your company may be taking in the form of donations and other assistance to help Indonesia during this time of confusion and concern. Contact [email protected] with your news. We would like to publicize the ways that our AmCham companies are pitching in.
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Stay safe, call a doctor if you have a high fever, cough, or difficulty breathing. Stay healthy above all else.
AmCham Update is AmCham's regular newsletter on developments related to the pandemic crisis and other issues in Indonesia. It is edited by AmCham Managing Director A Lin Neumann and written by the AmCham Staff. Paul L Goddard is the Managing Editor
