Indonesia Morning News For April 25

Indonesia’s former speaker gets 15 years in jail for corruption
Indonesia’s former parliament speaker was handed a 15-year prison term on Tuesday in one of the country’s harshest sentences for graft, marking a victory for its clamp-down on widespread corruption.
— The Nation

PLN Loses Rp10 Billion due to Electricity Theft
State electricity company PLN president director Sofian Basir stated the company suffered loses around Rp10 billion in a year due to the electricity theft. “Please share that theft is a criminal act,” he said in the Parliament complex, Tuesday, April 24.
— Tempo.co

What to make of Indonesia’s consideration to join the TPP-11?
When former president of the United States (US), Barack Obama mooted the idea of the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) to Indonesia’s president, Joko Widodo in 2015, the latter opted for a ‘wait and see’ approach.
— The Asean Post

Rp 1 trillion invested through Bareksa digital investment portal
Digital investment portal PT Bareksa Portal Investasi announced that mutual funds invested through the firm had reached Rp 1 trillion (US$71.89 million) as of Tuesday.
— The Jakarta Post

Indonesia’s Traffic Woes
Congested roads and few traffic laws are proving to be a deadly combination.
— The Diplomat

Bank Indonesia Intervenes With ‘Sizable Amount’ to Defend Rupiah
Indonesia’s central bank has been buying sovereign bonds and selling foreign currency in “quite a sizable amount” to halt the rupiah’s depreciation since last week and will continue to stabilize the currency, its governor said on Tuesday (24/04).
— Jakarta Globe

Freeport Is Worst Performer in S&P 500 as Indonesia Troubles Pound Shares
Freeport-McMoRan Inc.’s FCX -14.51% shares had their worst day in two years Tuesday after the company said that its troubles mining copper in Indonesia were dragging on.
— Wall Street Journal

Opponents attack Jokowi on high number of foreign workers (which make up less than 0.04% of population)
One of the conundrums facing President Joko Widodo is that his quest to increase foreign direct investment in Indonesia, in order to maintain the country’s economic growth and infrastructure development (both of which have proven to be key to his current high job satisfaction rating), also opens him up to xenophobic attacks about foreign companies and workers taking over Indonesia.
— Coconuts Jakarta

Indonesia Dealbook: Pizza Hut operator to conduct IPO; Plug and Play forays into new verticals
The operator of Pizza Hut Indonesia, PT Sarimelati Kencana, has announced to offer up to 604.375 million new shares priced between Rp 1,100-Rp 1,350 apiece, while accelerator GK Plug and Play Indonesia has announced the addition of new verticals for later stage startups.
— Deal Street Asia

Official: Asian Games to Boost Indonesia’s War on Forest Fires
Indonesia’s choking annual haze will be limited this year by the pressure of hosting the Asian Games and a new approach to preventing forest fires, a senior official said on Tuesday.
— Voice of America

Mutual Fund Investments via Bareksa Reach IDR1 Tln
PT Bareksa Portal Investasi said it had managed to post the total value of public funds invested in mutual fund investment products which reached IDR1 trillion as of April 24, 2018.
— Netral News

Indonesian candy giant expands into Asia’s gummy vitamin market
Confectionery company Yupi recently launched its Youvit gummy vitamin in Indonesia, and is looking to bring it to other Asian markets, such as Singapore, very soon.
— Food Navigator-Asia

Child beggar coordinators arrested in Depok
The arrest of two alleged coordinators of child beggars in Depok, West Java, on Sunday could serve as a reminder to residents to think twice before donating money to beggars.
— The Jakarta Post

Mapping the Indonesian political spectrum
Are Indonesia’s political parties all alike? Are some more in favour of political reform than others? Do some favour business interests while others see themselves as siding with the poor?
— New Mandala

Prevent Illness, Authorities Puts Up Signs Prohibiting People to Feed Komodo
The Komodo National Park Authority (TN) puts up signs prohibiting visitors from feeding Komodo (varanus komodoensis).
— Netral News

Regulation on Foreign Workers to Simplify Licensing Process: VP
Vice President Jusuf Kalla said on Tuesday that the Presidential Regulation no. 20/2018 on foreign workers would only simplify the licensing process.
— Tempo.co

Majority of Indonesians Prefer Life Sentence for Convicted House Speaker: Poll
A majority of Indonesians are disappointed with the Jakarta Corruption Court’s decision to sentence former House of Representatives Speaker Setya Novanto to 15 years in prison on Tuesday (24/04) for his role in a high-profile graft case, an anti-corruption watchdog’s survey showed.
— Jakarta Globe

Indonesia to be market focus country in London Book Fair 2019
Some 300 Indonesian books were presented in the London Book Fair (LBF), held on April 10-12 in Olympia London, reports tempo.co.
— The Jakarta Post

Feature photo rockyrobbie85

Find our previous morning news feature photos in the AEC News Today Morning News Feature Photos gallery where you will find a pictorial display of daily life throughout the Asean Economic Community (AEC).

Indonesia morning news by AEC News Today is your one stop source for Indonesia news on matters of governance and policies affecting Asean business communities and is published M-F by AEC News Today: Governance, not government; policies not politics.

Indonesia Morning News For April 25 added by Stella-maris Ewudolu on April 25, 2018
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Stella-maris Ewudolu

Journalist at AEC News Today

Stella-maris graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, Education from Ebonyi State University, Nigeria in 2005.

Between November 2010 and February 2012 she was a staff writer at Daylight Online, Nigeria writing on health, fashion, and relationships. From 2010 – 2017 she worked as a freelance screen writer for ‘Nollywood’, Nigeria.

She joined AEC News Today in December 2016.