Indonesia to implement QR Code standards by second half of the year
Indonesia’s central bank, Bank Indonesia (BI), is currently conducting a trial for QR Code standardization named QRIS (Indonesian Standard QR Code).
— Kr Asia
Rupiah Slumps despite Forex Reserve Increase
The rupiah exchange rate closed down on Monday, April 8. The increasing amount of foreign exchange (forex) reserves could not help the rupiah gain, despite the US dollar index’s depreciation.
— Tempo.co
Indonesia to file lawsuit over palm oil in European Court
Indonesia will file a lawsuit with the European Court, if the Delegated Regulation Supplementing Directive of the EU Renewable Energy Directive (RED) II, which will impact palm oil, is finally approved by the EU parliament.
— Antara News
Indonesian Buddhist woman’s blasphemy conviction upheld
Indonesia’s Supreme Court has upheld an 18-month jail sentence for a 44-year-old Buddhist woman convicted last year on blasphemy charges.
— AL Jazeera
Overseas Indonesians vote for country’s next president
Thousands of migrant workers from Indonesia will head to Hong Kong’s Victoria Park to cast their vote for the next Indonesian president this week.
— AL Jazeera
How flawed software and excess speed doomed an Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX
Minutes after take-off, the pilots of an Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX were caught in a bad situation.
— The Jakarta Post
Millennials Rock the Vote in Indonesia (video)
Millennials are going to decide who gets to run Indonesia and its $4 trillion economy.
— Bloomberg
Indonesia oil slicks highlight weak enforcement against bilge dumping
Satellite imagery of the oil slicks show how common it is for ships to pump their waste oil out in Indonesian waters, an environmental monitoring group has found.
— Eco Business
No subsidies for economy class airfares, minister says
Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said on Monday that the government would not provide subsidies on economy class airfares, saying that such subsidies would only be applied to “pioneer flights” to remote areas.
— The Jakarta Post
Investors might want to buy tickets to Indonesia
It’s not Bollywood yet, but Indonesia could be germinating Asia’s next big film scene. After years of stifled growth and censorship, new cinemas are opening across the vast Southeast Asian archipelago at a rapid clip thanks to large cash investments.
— The Jakarta Post
Jokowi upbeat about winning 80 percent votes in NTT
Incumbent presidential candidate Joko Widodo (Jokowi) is hopeful of securing 80 percent votes in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Province.
— Antara News
Female fans in pursuit of Jokowi
Tears stream down Lilis Hastirini’s mascara-smudged face after she waited hours to snap a selfie with Indonesia’s president, only to be thwarted by a crush of other female fans with the same idea.
— The Asean Post
Q1 Forex Reserves at US$124.5bn
Indonesia’s foreign exchange (forex) reserves amounted to US$124.5bn in March 2019. A Bank Indonesia (BI) official said that the reserves rose by more than US$1bn from February’s US$123.3bn.
— Tempo.co
Indonesia’s Yogyakarta city in spotlight as more crosses desecrated
Mr Asmono, a resident of the Indonesian city of Yogyakarta, could not fathom what exactly had happened to his wife’s grave.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)
Jokowi slams opposition’s claims of election fraud
Incumbent Joko “Jokowi” Widodo is criticizing the opposition’s allegations that fraud was being committed by his side for the upcoming election, while electoral institutions state that such accusations were attempts to delegitimize the vote.
— The Jakarta Post
RPT-Indonesia battery-grade nickel plant awaits environmental nod- developer
Indonesia’s first plant to produce battery-grade nickel chemicals is on track to start operations by 2020, though the project still needs an environmental permit that could take up to eight months to be approved, the developer told Reuters.
— Reuters
Prabowo claims 1 million people were in stadium on Sunday. Jokowi supporters say impossible.
Presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto has claimed that 1 million supporters attended his open rally at Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium in Senayan, Jakarta, on Sunday. However, many are saying it is impossible for the stadium to house that many people.
— The Jakarta Post
Indonesia, Malaysia send letter of objection to EU over palm curbs
Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Malaysian Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahatir Mohamad have signed a joint letter of objection to the European Union over its plan to phase out the use of palm oil in renewable fuel, an Indonesian official said on Monday.
— The Star Online
New regulations set price floors, ceilings for airline tickets
The Transportation Ministry issued on March 29 new regulations on airfare, namely Transportation Ministerial Regulation No. 20/2019 and Transportation Ministerial Decree No.72/2019, to regulate airline ticket prices for economy class services of commercial airlines.
— The Jakarta Post
Ducati Scrambles for Bigger Share of the Big Bike Market in Indonesia
Cakra Motor Sports, the authorized distributor of Ducati motorcycles in Indonesia, unveiled four new Scrambler models from the Italian manufacturer on Sunday (07/04) as it seeks to boost interest in the local imported big bike market.
— The Jakarta Globe
Indonesia’s Longest Underpass Built beneath Yogyakarta Airport
The Public Works and Housing Ministry (PUPR) is currently constructing the country’s longest underpass, which will span up to 1.3 kilometers, beneath the Kulon Progo Airport in Yogyakarta.
— Tempo.co
Cement players eye flat sales growth, seek consolidation
Big cement producers will continue their cost-efficiency strategy and seize opportunities to acquire other players amid a cement oversupply that has consistently dragged down their financial performances.
— The Jakarta Post
Indonesia’s Jokowi can make a final term count
Joko Widodo can make a final term count. The Indonesian president, known as Jokowi, is on track to win re-election. His first five years had notable successes, including in infrastructure.
— Reuters
Government allocates Rp250 million for Ende airport development
The central government has allotted budget amounting to Rp250 million to develop the Haji Hasan Aroeboesman Airport in Ende District, Flores Island, in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Province.
— Antara News
Indonesia’s desperate housewives chase selfies on election trail
Intellasia East Asia News Indonesian President Joko Widodo is mobbed by supporters wanting “selfies” Tears stream down Lilis Hastirini’s mascara-smudged face after she waited hours to snap a selfie with Indonesia’s president, only to be thwarted by a crush of other female fans with the same idea.
— Intellasia
Foreign exchange reserves up to US$124.5 billion in March
Foreign exchange reserves strengthened in March to US$124.5 billion, up from $123.3 billion in the previous month, on the back of improved foreign exchange earnings from the oil and gas sector, Bank Indonesia (BI) reported on Monday.
— The Jakarta Post
Illegal online sales driving mercury pollution crisis in Indonesia
Illegal online mercury sales are booming in Indonesia, and activists have had enough.
— Mongabay
Elected president should invest in people: CSIS
The elected president should invest in the empowerment of human resources in order to support the digital market in Indonesia, an analyst of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Fajar B Hirawan said here on Monday.
— Antara News
Shipping companies seek public funding to finance expansion
Riska Rahman The Jakarta Post/Jakarta Publicly listed shipping companies are seeking extra funding through the issuance of bonds and other capital market instruments to finance their business expansion projects.
— The Jakarta Post
Sick fisherman sacked, sent back to Indonesia
An Indonesian fisherman who traveled to Taiwan last year but became sick a month later has been sacked by his employer after being diagnosed with a severe renal problem.
— Asia Times
Government will not subsidize airplane ticket rates: Minister
Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said the government would not subsidize tickets for scheduled commercial airline services.
— Antara News
Papuan governments haven’t agreed over ownership shares in Freeport
State-owned mining holding company PT Indonesia Asahan Aluminium (Inalum) is waiting for a deal to be made between the Papua provincial and Mimika regental administrations on the ownership of 10 percent of the 51.23 percent of shares owned by Inalum in PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI).
— The Jakarta Post
Minister: Don’t Force Me to Issue Another Bill on Airfare
Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said that he would not draft a new regulation in which ruling airfare based on sub-price and subclasses in the near future. Budi Karya asserted that it was the last option should airlines would not set varies ticket fares.
— Tempo.co
No decision yet on closing Komodo island, Indonesia says
The Indonesian government is delaying a decision on whether to prohibit public access to Komodo island, home to the fierce Komodo dragon, the country’s Environment Ministry said on Monday (April 8).
— Straits Times (annoying popups)
Jokowi heads to Kupang, Palangkaraya, Prabowo to Yogyakarta on campaign trail
Incumbent President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo is scheduled to meet thousands of his supporters in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, on Monday, while challenger Prabowo Subianto is set to hit the campaign trail in Yogyakarta.
— The Jakarta Post
Indonesia’s elections face a disinformation crisis
With Indonesia’s general elections just around the corner, fake news and increasingly autocratic Internet governance are becoming more and more of a problem, William Chalk writes.
— Policy Forum
Govt Urged to Evaluate 4 Tourism-based Special Economic Zones
The Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) demanded the government evaluate four tourism-based Special Economic Zones (SEZ) before designing new areas given the fact of the sluggish development progress of the existing zones.
— Tempo.co
Indonesia to install tsunami early warning system
Indonesia is set to install buoys and cable base tsunameters (CBT) near Mount Krakatau volcano on Wednesday in a bid to give early warning when tidal waves occur near the volcano, officials said.
— Business Standard
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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.


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