New Immigration Guidelines Released
The Directorate-General of Immigration has released new guidelines regarding the granting of visas and immigration stay permits during the Covid-19 pandemic through Regulation IMI-0196.GR.01.01/2021. The guidelines include the following:
Related link:
DG IMMIGRATION REGULATION IMI-0196.GR.01.01/2021
Conditions Appear to Improve Under PPKM, But Are Things Really Getting Better?
As the latest round of PPKM comes up for renewal/easing further, today, Sept 20, reports say confirmed Covid-19 cases in Java and Bali have declined by 96 percent since their peak on July 15, and active cases have fallen below 100,000. The resulting feeling of optimism was further fueled by Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Pandjaitan saying that, as a result, the government had reduced PPKM levels quicker than originally predicted.
However, epidemiologists continue to urge caution amid the possibility of another surge in cases, despite the government saying the positivity rate reached 3.05 percent on Sept 12 - the World Health Organization (WHO) threshold for returning to normal is below 5 percent for two consecutive weeks. University of Indonesia epidemiologist Tri Yunis Miko Wahyono said the standardization of testing and tracing has only worked in Jakarta and not in other regions. Close contact tracing is also still limited to an average of six persons, instead of the 20-30 persons per patient as recommended by the WHO. In reality, this means only close relatives are being tested, so it is difficult to confirm claims cases have truly decreased as testing and tracing are not standardized.
Mathematics modeling expert Nuning Nuraini also said the positivity rate has decreased because less tests were conducted when cases went down, and if the government really wanted to confirm a decrease in cases, sampling tests must be conducted. The Ministry of Health has also acknowledged limitations in keeping regional death tolls updated, due to multiple civil administration layers and overworked health workers.
Vaccination rates, tracing through the PeduliLindungi app, testing rates, and health protocol compliance all remain a challenge and, combined with public euphoria over the loosening of restrictions, could push Indonesia into another Covid-19 wave.
So wash your hands, wear your mask, and follow social distancing and other health protocols.
Now is not the time for complacency!
Related links:
Bali Implements Odd-Even System at Tourist Attractions
Following the decision to gradually reopen tourist attractions, Bali is to implement an odd-even (ganjil-genap) vehicle plate policy to anticipate and control tourists coming into the island. The odd-even policy will apply for both two-wheeled and four-wheeled vehicles and will be implemented on weekends and national or facultative holidays, from 06:30-09:30 Central Indonesian Time (WITA) and 15:00-18:00 WITA. The policy will be piloted at Sanur Beach, Denpasar City, Kuta Beach, and Badung District. Although implementation awaits the issuance of a Governor’s Decree, the Balinese provincial government aims to implement the policy by the end of this month.
Related link:
AmCham Cares: FedEx
FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp and one of the world’s largest express transportation companies, has delivered a shipment of 15 pallets carrying Covid-19 swab kits and personal protective equipment to Jakarta.
The critical relief aid arrived in Jakarta on Sept 14 from New York in the US. These lifesaving medical supplies were coordinated through a collaboration with the US-ASEAN Business Council Institute, the American Indonesian Chamber of Commerce, and the Global Task Force on Pandemic Response, a public-private partnership organized by the US Chamber of Commerce and supported by the Business Roundtable to provide a unified platform for businesses to mobilize and deliver resources to assist Covid-19 efforts in areas of the highest need around the world.
FedEx has moved more than 325 metric tons of personal protective equipment between January 2020 and August 2021 to help support healthcare workers and communities in Indonesia.
The shipment of these lifesaving supplies is consistent with the company’s FedEx Cares 50 by 50 goal to positively impact 50 million people around the world by the company’s 50th anniversary in 2023. Through the FedEx Cares Delivering for Good initiative, the company is lending its global network and unparalleled logistics expertise to organizations with mission-critical needs and help communities before, during and after crises.
OSS-RBA Issues Over 200,000 Business Licenses: BKPM
The Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) has issued 205,373 Business Identification Numbers (NIB) through the Online-Single Submissions Risk-Based Approach (OSS-RBA) system since its launch on Aug 4 - 187,435 for individual businesses and 17,938 for business entities. The new system is capable of issuing over 13,000 business licenses per day, a significant improvement on the 3,000-5,000 licenses per day capacity of the previous OSS 1.0 and 1.1 systems.
BKPM Spokesperson Tina Talisa said this shows the new OSS-RBA system has improved the ease of business licensing, with 98.8 percent of NIBs issued belonging to small and medium-sized enterprises. The new system is currently running at 80 percent, and improvements will be done gradually until the end of this year.
Related link:
Renew Your Driver’s License Online
You can now renew/extend your driver’s license (SIM) or make a new one online via the SINAR (National Precision SIM) application, launched by the National Police Traffic Corps (Korlantas Polri). The SINAR application can also be used to access other Korlantas services
For online SIM renewal, prepare the following documents:
SIM renewal takes three to seven working days. To renew your SIM via SINAR, it must be valid for at least 90 days before the expiration date. The costs incurred for SIM renewal are Rp 80,000 for SIM A (for private 4-wheeled vehicles) and Rp 75,000 for SIM C (for two-wheel motor vehicles).
Related link:
Support Independent Journalism: Subscribe to The Jakarta Post
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.
JP Premium Digital Subscription Packages
https://www.thejakartapost.com/packages
Monthly subscription – Rp 50,000
Yearly subscription – Rp 600,000
Now is the Time to Join AmCham!
We offer a full slate of meetings, events, and information for our community online. But we can only do this through the support of our members. If you are not yet an AmCham member, please join now.
AmCham Indonesia is open to all companies with an interest in US business relations and we have many non-American members. We are a community and we welcome you!
Reach us at [email protected] or click below!
AmCham Office and Events
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.
Stay well
We urge you to send us press releases and other information that we can pass on to the broader AmCham community. If you have items of interest, please email material to [email protected]. Follow this link to information provided by the US Embassy
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