Indonesia Morning News For February 12, 2019

Current account deficit recorded at 2.98 percent of GDP in 2018
Bank Indonesia has announced that the current account deficit increased to US$31.1 billion, 2.98 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), in 2018 from the previous year, which stood at $17.29 billion, 1.7 percent of GDP.
— The Jakarta Post

Indonesia`s reserve assets stand at US$120.1 billion at Jan-end: BI
Indonesia`s official reserve assets at the end of January 2019 were quite high, at US$120.1 billion.
— Antara News

4 years (accused) a stooge: President Jokowi says he’s had enough, hits back at foreign puppet accusations
Among many unsubstantiated rumors that have dogged President Joko Widodo throughout his first term in office — and his ongoing election campaign — are accusations that he’s secretly a member of the defunct Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) and a Chinese-Christian.
— Coconuts Jakarta

Indonesia’s Batam eases business licensing to boost investment
The government has launched one-stop investment services in Batam to help process business permits on the island city, which has been designated as one of the country’s special economic zones.
— The Jakarta Post

Indonesia sexual violence bill sparks conservative opposition
Intellasia East Asia News Proposed draft legislation aiming to tackle sexual crimes stirs controversy in Indonesia ahead of April elections.
— Intellasia

KPU to Intensify Candidate Interaction in Second Election Debate
The General Election Commission (KPU) will intensify interaction of candidates during the second election debate slated to take place February 17, 2019, in Sultan Hotel, Jakarta.
— Tempo.co

Government to install 1.2 million new power connections in 2019
The government will install 1.2 million new power connections free for the poor in 2019, according to Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Ignasius Jonan.
— Antara News

Manufacturing sector to drive Indonesia’s economy: Bappenas
The government believes the manufacturing sector will be the new engine of economic growth for Indonesia and will, therefore, focus on its development in the next five years.
— The Jakarta Post

Indonesia’s December retail sales rise 7.7 pct y/y
Retail sales in Indonesia grew at a much faster pace of 7.7 percent in December from a year earlier, compared with an annual growth rate of 3.4 percent in November, a central bank survey showed on Monday.
— Reuters Africa

Indonesia rate hikes unlikely despite widening current account deficit: Citi
Despite a widening current account deficit in the fourth quarter of 2018, Indonesia’s central bank is unlikely to hike its policy rate further “as long as foreign exchange supply from capital inflows can cover (it)”, said Citi economist Helmi Arman in a Feb 10 note.
— The Business Times

Hotel Occupancy Tumbles on Airfare Hike: Tourism Ministry
The Tourism Ministry said hotel occupancy rate had slipped by around 20-30 percent in light of the recent airfare hike and paid baggage policy.
— Tempo.co

INDONESIAN ENTERTAINERS PROTEST LAW ON ‘PORNOGRAPHY’, BLASPHEMY IN MUSIC
Indonesian entertainers have rallied against a draft law that seeks to ban blasphemous and “pornographic” music content, which critics say could be used to clamp down on freedom of expression in the Muslim-majority nation.
— Eyewitness News

Indonesia dam burst raises alarm over unchecked forest clearing
In the Indonesian city of Makassar, where the rainy season often brings floods, Hasriani didn’t worry when a day-long downpour last month saw water rise to her knees by the time she had picked up her children from school for afternoon prayers.
— Eco-Business

Indonesia demands completion of DNA test to identify Philippines church bombers
Indonesian authorities on Monday demanded completion of DNA examination over remains of the Philippines’ church bombers to determine their identification as joint investigation into the case is underway in the latter country.
— Xinhua

Indonesia’s role in multilateral development banks
After Jim Yong Kim resigned last month, President Donald Trump indicated he intends to nominate senior US Treasury official David Malpass to lead the World Bank.
— The Interpreter

UGM named Indonesia’s best university by Webometrics
Gadjah Mada University (UGM) in Yogyakarta has topped the rankings of Indonesia’s best universities according to a survey by university index agency Webometrics in January. Globally, the university is ranked 845th.
— The Jakarta Post

Indonesia’s Cyber Challenge in Focus with Looming 2019 Elections
Late last week, Indonesia’s military chief issued a call to the country’s security forces to upgrade their digital skills to confront a range of challenges. His comments were just the latest in a long string of similar statements issued by Indonesian officials highlighting the country’s cyber challenges as it prepares to head into presidential elections in April.
— The Diplomat

CAN INDONESIA’S GO-JEK LOOSEN GRAB’S GRIP ON SOUTHEAST ASIA?
Indonesia’s ride-hailing giant Go-Jek is pulling out all the stops in its battle with rival Grab to dominate the Southeast Asian market.
— South China Morning Post

Burst dam in Bandung kills three
Heavy rains in Bandung, West Java and its surrounding areas on Saturday night caused the dam holding the Cinambo River in Pasar Jati, Bandung regency to burst, resulting in flooding that claimed three lives.
— ReliefWeb

Jakarta to Run `Lintas Jaya Traffic Operation` for a Whole Year
Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan determined to raise the traffic compliance rate in the capital city up to 20 percent by launching Lintas Jaya Operation for a whole year.
— Tempo.co

Komodo Island will be closed to visitors for one year starting in 2020: NTT government
It looks like tourists wishing to visit Komodo Island, the most famous home of the world’s biggest species of lizard, the Komodo dragon, will have to visit this year or be forced to wait until 2021 after the local government announced plans to shut down the famed tourism island for all of 2020.
— Coconuts Jakarta

APAC Realty to buy Indonesian ERA master franchisor for up to $13.9m, ties up for Thai master franchise
Real estate agency APAC Realty is acquiring the ERA master franchisor for Indonesia for up to $13.85 million in cash and also taking direct ownership of the Thailand ERA master franchise through a partnership.
— The Straits Times

Warburg-Backed Indonesian Mall Developer Raises $200 Million
NWP Retail, an Indonesian shopping mall developer backed by Warburg Pincus, completed a $200 million fundraising to help drive expansion across the country.
— Bloomberg

Unutilized assets in Aceh open for investment
The Arun Lhokseumawe Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Aceh, which houses one of the country’s natural gas facilities, could be the latest example of the use of underutilized assets to boost local economies, said the State Asset Management Agency (LMAN).
— The Jakarta Post

Indonesia’s jobs for generals plan alarms rights groups
Intellasia East Asia News The Indonesian government is planning to post some of the dozens of underemployed generals into high-ranking civilian roles, alarming rights groups who see it as a threat to the country’s young democracy.
— Intellasia

EU scales up support for victims of tsunami in Indonesia
Intellasia East Asia News The European Union (EU) is allocating a further €300,000 (approximately IDR 4.8 billion) in humanitarian funding to Indonesia to ensure the continued delivery of much needed assistance to families hit by the tsunami that struck the Sunda Strait in late December 2018.
— Intellasia

Indonesian SMEs` handicraft products showcased in Germany
The Ministry of Industry is actively facilitating small and medium enterprises’ (SMEs) craft industries to participate in national and international exhibitions, including the Ambiente Exhibition in Germany.
— Antara News

North Maluku to hold Sail Tidore 2021
Sail Tidore will be organized in Tidore Islands, North Maluku Province, in 2021 to coincide with a meeting of the Global Network of Magellan Cities (GNMC), according to Ali Ibrahim, the mayor of Tidore.
— Antara News

General Atlantic appoints Ashish Saboo to lead new office in Jakarta
General Atlantic, a leading global growth equity firm, today announced the opening of a new office in Jakarta, its first in Indonesia, and that it has appointed Ashish Saboo as Managing Director to lead General Atlantic’s operations and on-the-ground presence in the country.
— Antara News

Industry Ministry Eyes US, European Markets for SMEs Exports
The Industry Ministry plans on tapping into the United States and Europe to export products made by the country’s small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
— Tempo.co

Jakarta Intercultural School Inspires Indonesian Teachers Through Innovative Schools Programme
Following the success of the Innovative Schools Programme (ISP), the Jakarta Intercultural School (JIS) with Emmanuel Foundation, the Jakarta Education Agency, Mentari Intercultural School Jakarta, and member schools of the Association of National and Private Schools (ANPS) held the First Annual Educators Conference of the Innovative Schools Programme at JIS, with the theme Keep Learning Alive!
— AEC News Today/ PR Newswire (media release)

Indonesia needs a better tsunami warning system
Tsunamis in Indonesia claimed more than 2,600 lives last year – a number which could have been much lower had their Tsunami Warning System (TWS) been in working condition.
— The Asean Post

Teaching disaster risk reduction at Indonesian schools
Indonesia is blessed with fertile soil and various natural resources, but concurrently, the country is prone to natural disasters, as it is located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, where numerous volcanoes and earthquakes occur.
— Antara News

Makassar to host Diplomacy Festival on Feb 22, 23
The Foreign Affairs Ministry has entrusted Makassar, the capital of South Sulawesi Province, to host the 2019 Diplomacy Festival on Feb 22 and 23.
— Antara News

Feature photo BC campus

This week’s Indonesia morning news feature photo acknowledges World Radio Day, February 13.

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 February 12 added by Stella-maris Ewudolu on February 12, 2019
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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.