Indonesia Morning News For October 19

Jakarta plans $10bn waterfront airport as travel demand surges
The Indonesian government plans to build a new airport outside Jakarta to accommodate a growing number of business travelers and tourists as the country’s economy expands.
— Nikkei Asian Review (paywall)

Magnitude 5.3 quake hits West Aceh
An earthquake measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale shook West Aceh district on Thursday, according to the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG).
— Antara News

Indonesia`s entrepreneurship rate low: Minister
The entrepreneurship rate in Indonesia remains low, and the nation ranks 94th out of the 137 countries, Industry Minister Enggartiasto Lukita stated.
— Antara News

Indonesia drops disinfectant on quake-hit Palu
JAKARTA: Indonesian authorities on Thursday (Oct 18) used helicopters to drop disinfectant on parts of the earthquake-and-tsunami-ravaged city of Palu, where thousands of decomposing bodies are still buried beneath once-thriving neighbourhoods.
— Channel News Asia

Bribery probe hurts one of Southeast Asia’s biggest projects
The home of Lippo Group’s Deputy Chairman James Riady was searched by anti-graft officials, the latest development in a bribery probe that has entangled one of Indonesia’s leading business conglomerates and thrown into doubt the future of a major development project touted as the “Shenzhen of Indonesia.”
— SFGate

LIPI Expert: Ground Crack in Tangerang Needs Investigation Study
The paving of ground crack in Kampung Kadu Sirung, Pagedangan, Tangerang Regency, with asphalt or cement was considered not enough.
— Tempo.co

Indonesia, Philippines sign 10 border agreements
The Governments of Indonesia and the Philippines have signed 10 agreements related to the border of the two neighboring countries.
— Antara News

President again inspects handling of Lombok quake`s impact
President Joko Widodo and First Lady Iriana paid another visit to West Nusa Tenggara Province on Thursday to monitor the handling of the impact of a powerful earthquake that struck the island of Lombok last August.
— Antara News

Indonesia mulling tax cuts to attract bond investors – official
Indonesia is considering cutting the tax on gains made from its sovereign bonds, as part of plans to attract more investors to the debt market of Southeast Asia’s biggest economy, the country’s director general of taxes said on Thursday.
— Today Online

Indonesia quakes a ‘wake up call’ on buildings’ shaky foundations
The seven-storey Roa Roa Hotel, with its clean lines and bright blue decor, was one of the few high-rises in the small Indonesian city of Palu, offering a dash of style to visitors on a budget.
— Aljazeera

Suharto’s Cendana Family Back in the Spotlight With Opening of New Retail Outlet
Berkarya Makmur Sejahtera president commissioner Hutomo Mandala Putra, commonly known as Tommy Suharto, opened Goro Cibubur – a large wholesale retail outlet – on the southeastern outskirts of Jakarta on Wednesday, marking his family’s return to the public stage after maintaining a low profile for years.
— Jakarta Globe

News Focus -Floods strike Sumatra as rainy season begins
Rainy season has begun in some parts of Indonesia, particularly on Sumatra Island, but the dry season has continued in other regions, such as on Java Island and East Nusa Tenggara.
— Antara News

Indonesian firms hand Hyflux S$530m lifeline, but questions raised on whether deal would get green light
Following a spectacular fall from grace, beleaguered water treatment firm Hyflux got a S$530m lifeline on Thursday (Oct 18).
— Today Online

Pegadaian Corporate University Launched to Create Integrity and Competent HR in Financial Industry
PT Pegadaian (Persero) established Pegadaian Corporate University to create integrity and competent human resources (HR) and talent in the financial industry along with the transformation process in an effort to achieve short-term and long-term corporate goals.
— Netral News

Jakarta river dredging opted as restoration stagnant
The Jakarta administration has opted to dredge rivers in Jakarta to prevent flooding as the rainy season is due to arrive in a few weeks.
— The Jakarta Post

Prolonged drought triggers wildfires on mountains in Java
Some parts of Indonesia`s regions have entered the rainy season, while several others, such as Java and Nusa Tenggara Islands, are experiencing prolonged severe dry season, causing drought, water shortages, and also …
— Antara News

Indonesia to Propose Review Mechanism During This Month’s ‘Our Ocean’ Conference
As host of the upcoming Our Ocean Conference, or OOC, Indonesia aims to strengthen international commitments in sustainable ocean conservation by proposing a review mechanism at the multistakeholder forum, ministers said on Wednesday (17/10).
— Jakarta Globe

Japfa Distributes Aid for Survivors of Central Sulawesi Disaster in 3 Stages
PT Japfa Comfeed Indonesia Tbk (JAPFA) through the Japfa Peduli program provides humanitarian assistance in the form of basic necessities, medicines, and emergency shelters.
— Netral News

Indonesia’s Pertamina plans gasoline imports of up to 11 mil barrels in Nov: sources
Indonesia’s state-owned Pertamina plans to import around 10 million-11 million barrels of gasoline in November, stable to slightly lower compared with estimated imports of 11 million barrels in October, market sources said Thursday.
— S&P Global Platts

SOEs Help Provide 400 Temporary Shelters for Earthquake Survivors in Sigi Regency
In order to help provide temporary shelter for evacuees affected by disaster in Central Sulawesi, State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) began to work together to build Earthquake Friendly Houses (RRGs) in Central Sulawesi.
— Netral News

Indonesia raids home of Lippo Group’s deputy chairman in bribery probe
JAKARTA (REUTERS) – Indonesia’s anti-graft agency said on Thursday (Oct 18) it had raided 10 locations, including the home of the deputy chairman of the Lippo Group, as part of a bribery investigation linked to the conglomerate’s US$21 billion (S$28.9 billion) Meikarta real estate project.
— The Straits Times

‘China calls it fishing, Indonesia calls it crime’: Pudjiastuti finds her target for Oceans summit
Susi Pudjiastuti, Indonesia’s minister for fisheries and maritime affairs, has a strong message for China, owner of the world’s largest fishing fleet.
— South China Morning Post

280 handpicked startups exhibiting at TIA Jakarta 2018 (INFOGRAPHIC)
Tech in Asia Jakarta 2018 happening next week on October 23 & 24 will play host to over 5,000 passionate entrepreneurs, keen investors, media, and the wider tech community.
— Tech in Asia

Garbage Issue, Bekasi Mayor: We`re Not Jakarta`s Servant
Bekasi Mayor Rahmat Effendi demanded Jakarta provincial administration respect his region as a partner in dealing with the garbage issue considering the capital city dumped 7,000 tons of garbage every day in Bekas
— Tempo.co

Late Payment; Fintech Customers Terrorized on Social Media
A number of fintech customers filed reports to the police, saying they were intimidated and defamed by debt collectors via social media. The debt collectors are said to be working for both local and foreign fintech companies offering lending services.
— Tempo.co

Unilever to continue producing teabags after Sariwangi declared bankrupt
Consumer goods manufacturer PT Unilever Indonesia has said that it will continue to manufacture Sariwangi teabags after the court declared the company’s manufacturers of the teabags bankrupt on Wednesday.
— The Jakarta Post

Expedia campaigns for Indonesia
Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism has signed off on two tourism cooperation agreements with Brand Expedia, to drive bookings to 15 key destinations in Indonesia.
— TTR Weekly

Ministerial Text Exchange Unconfirmed; Indonesia-Australia Trade Pact Still on Track
The Foreign Affairs Ministry on Thursday said it cannot confirm the reported WhatsApp exchange between Indonesian and Australian foreign ministers, but reaffirmed that bilateral trade agreement remains scheduled for the end of this year.
— Jakarta Globe

Indonesia needs strategy to promote national movies
The Indonesian Film Agency (BPI) has highlighted the need for the Indonesian government to formulate a major strategy to maximize the promotion of Indonesian films abroad.
Chairman of the International Festival of …
— Antara News

Inalum Looks to Close Freeport Deal in December: Official
Indonesia’s state-owned miner Inalum is looking to finalize a $3.85 billion deal for majority control of the local unit of global mining giant Freeport McMoRan Inc in December, a company official said on Wednesday.
— Jakarta Globe

Corporate Earnings Reports Indonesia Q3-2018: Bank Mandiri
Bank Mandiri, one of the biggest financial institutions in Indonesia and the sixth-largest company that is listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (in terms of market capitalization), saw its net profit rise 20 percent year-on-year (y/y) to IDR 18.1 trillion (approx. USD $1.2 billion) up to and including the third quarter of 2018.
— Indonesia Investments (media release)

No unity without justice: Anies Baswedan
This mid-October marks Anies Baswedan’s first anniversary as Jakarta governor. Despite the public’s running commentary and criticism of every single step he takes, Anies said he was doing a good job in office.
— The Jakarta Post

BMKG Explains Viral Study on Quake, Tsunami Potential in Mentawai
An article entitled `Gempa 8,9 Skala Richter dan Tsunami Ancam Padang` or the 8.9-magnitude quake and tsunami threatens Padang City went viral on social media. The report, first released on October 12, 2010, had been shared for over 211,000 times through Facebook and other social media.
— Tempo.co

BPJS Kesehatan Deficit, Govt: Premium Increase Not an Option Yet
The Presidential Special Staff for Economics Ahmad Erani Yustika said the premium increase was not a solution yet for the deficit issue at the Healthcare and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan). The government is still debating the right strategy to deal with the problem.
— Tempo.co

Crowd gathered for remembrance, not revenge following nightclub brawl: Police
Kebon Jeruk Police assured on Thursday that no act of revenge was carried out by a mass organization after one of their members was killed in a brawl during a party at Bandara discotheque on Jl. Daan Mogot, West Jakarta.
— The Jakarta Post

Jokowi Has 4 Unfinished Homework: Voxpol Center
The executive director of Voxpol Center Research and Consulting Pangi Syarwi Chaniago noted the administration of President Joko `Jokowi` Widodo had four unfinished tasks during the four-year office
— Tempo.co

4 Social Media Ethics to Avoid Legal Issue
The spread of false or hoax news is indeed common on social media. However, the public should keep up with ethics while using social media to avoid a legal problem.
The acting director of informatics empowerment in the Communication and Informatics Ministry, Slamet Santoso, explained four ethics in using social media as follows.
— Tempo.co

Ubud Writers and Readers Festival to Invite Susi Pudjiastuti
The Ubud Writers and Readers Festival which will be held on October 24-28, is set to be attended by Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Minister Susi Pudjiastuti.
— Tempo.co

Why Philippines and Indonesia are prone to natural hazards
The catastrophic damage left behind by the 7.5-magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Palu, Indonesia still leaves people shaken to their very core.
— Rappler

IDX, Lippo meet to discuss Meikarta on Thursday
The managements of the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) and Lippo Group are scheduled to meet on Thursday to discuss the fate of Meikarta, its flagship modern city in Cikarang, east of Jakarta, amid an ongoing bribery case.
— The Jakarta Post

Pharma companies still dependent on imported APIs, says ministry
The Health Ministry has said that local pharmaceutical companies still relied heavily on imported chemical ingredients – active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) – because the industry was unable to carry out sufficient research on developing such materials.
— The Jakarta Post

VP Kalla attends Asia-Europe meeting in Brussels
Vice President Jusuf Kalla is visiting Brussels, Belgium, to attend the 12th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) and hold bilateral meetings with several state leaders.
— Antara News

Feature photo Oma teos

This week’s Indonesia morning news feature photo acknowledge International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, October 17.

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 October 19 added by Stella-maris Ewudolu on October 19, 2018
View all posts by Stella-maris Ewudolu →

Bio
Latest Posts

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.