GENERAL NEWS AND HEADLINES

Firli Bahuri appoints 12 high-ranking KPK officials
Kompas (https://tinyurl.com/yxe6757y)

Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) chairman Firli Bahuri inaugurated earlier today 12 new KPK echelon II officials comprising three directors and nine regional coordinators.

The three newly inaugurated directors are Setyo Budiyanto, Tomi Murtomo and Riki Arif Gunawan, who were appointed as the antigraft body’s investigation director, public complaints director and information and data director, respectively.

Meanwhile, the newly inaugurated KPK regional coordinators are Asep Rahmat Suwanda, Aminudin, Budi Waluya, Ratna Zulaiha, Didik Agung Widjanarko, Agung Yudha Wibowo, Bahtiar Ujang Purnama, Kumbul Kuswijanto Sudjadi and Yudhiawan.

Out of the 12 inaugurated KPK high-ranking officials, six of them, namely Setyo, Didik, Agung, Bahtiar, Kumbul and Yudhiawan, are from the police force, whereas Riki is an official from the Communications and Information Ministry. The remaining five are the KPK’s own employees.

 

Task force chief claims decrease in COVID-19 active cases, fatalities
Kompas (https://tinyurl.com/y6maoqc4)

National COVID-19 task force chief Doni Monardo has said the number of active COVID-19 cases and fatalities decreased in the past week.

“The number of active COVID-19 cases this week is decreasing to 23.6 percent from last week’s 25 percent. The rate of national active COVID-19 cases is also below the rate of global active cases, which stands at 23.9 percent," Doni said during today’s meeting with House of Representatives Commission VIII.

Furthermore, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) head said that the number of COVID-19 fatalities had also decreased in the last four weeks to 3.9 percent in Sept. 20 from 4.27 percent in Aug. 30, 4.1 percent in Sept. 8 and 4 percent in Sept. 13.

 

Extreme weather to occur during seasonal transition period, BMKG warns
The Jakarta Post (https://tinyurl.com/y2fegmnc); Detik (https://tinyurl.com/y2dny3hd); CNN Indonesia (https://tinyurl.com/y3vfzozr)

Extreme weather is likely to occur during the transitional period from dry to rainy season in Indonesia, the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has warned.

“In this transitional period [from September to October], we need to be alert to potential extreme weather such as short heavy rainfall with lightning or thunderstorms, whirlwinds and hailstorms,” BMKG meteorology deputy Guswanto said in a written statement.

The agency also predicted that heavy rainfall along with lightning or thunderstorms would happen in several regions including North and West Sumatra, West Java, all provinces of Kalimantan, South Sulawesi, Maluku and Papua within the next week.

The public is asked to be alert to possible flooding, flash floods, landslides and whirlwinds that follow heavy rainfall.

 

 BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS NEWS AND HEADLINES  

State budget deficit reached 3.05 percent of GDP in August
CNBC Indonesia (https://tinyurl.com/yxqvdewk); Kompas (https://tinyurl.com/yyavsjjs) 

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati has announced that the realized state budget deficit reached Rp 500.5 trillion (US$33.9 billion), 3.05 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), as of August. Sri Mulyani explained that the deficit was due to a deep contraction in realized state revenues by 13.1 percent year-on-year (yoy) to Rp 1.03 quadrillion. At the same time, realized state expenditures grew by 10.6 percent yoy to Rp 1.53 quadrillion. “Realized tax revenues reached Rp 798.1 trillion or 56 percent of the government target. It contracted by 13.4 percent yoy,” Sri Mulyani said.

 

Sri Mulyani: Indonesia to fall into recession
CNBC Indonesia (https://tinyurl.com/y3uc49dy); Kontan (https://tinyurl.com/y6lrhbxm); Detik (https://tinyurl.com/y3vld4ze) 

The Finance Ministry has revised down its economic prediction for the third quarter. “The Finance Ministry previously predicted growth of 0.2 percent or a contraction of 1.1 percent in the third quarter, and this has been changed into a contraction of between 1 and 2.9 percent as of September. Economic contraction in the third quarter is likely to continue to the fourth quarter,” Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said. Consequently, the economy might contract in the range of 0.6 to 1.7 percent this year, she added.

 

GE to stop building coal-fired power plants, affects Tanjung Jati A power plant
CNBC Indonesia (https://tinyurl.com/y6z4ajgv); CNN Indonesia (https://tinyurl.com/yy8clz2a); The Jakarta Post (https://tinyurl.com/yy5ua54h) 

United States-based industrial conglomerate General Electric Co. said on Monday it planned to stop building coal-fired power plants, as it focuses more on renewable sources of power generation. The company said the exit from the business could include divestitures, site closures and job cuts, while it works with its customers to complete existing obligations. Previously, the company planned to participate in the construction of a 1,320-megawatt (MW) Tanjung Jati A (Jawa 3) coal-fired power plant. But the project has been delayed. The project is managed by a consortium of conglomerate PT Bakrie & Brothers and Malaysia-based YTL Jawa Energy BV with a shareholding composition of 20 percent and 80 percent, respectively.

 

Govt bootcamp to prep 30 startups to give SMEs a digital leg up
The Jakarta Post (https://tinyurl.com/y2fvotcn) 

The government will hold a three-week bootcamp for 30 selected startups that can provide services like supply chain and finance management for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as it aims to increase digitalization among small businesses. The course, called Pahlawan Digital (Digital Heroes), will begin on Wednesday. The Cooperatives and SMEs Ministry is also partnering with influencer-cum businesswoman Putri Tanjung, e-commerce company Shopee Indonesia and ride-hailing firm Grab Indonesia to select the 10 best startups out of the 30 participants as strategic partners for the ministry. “They [the startups] will provide not only market access [for SMEs] but also support efficient business processes and supply chains, access to financing and entrepreneurship development,” Cooperatives and SMEs Minister Teten Masduki said.

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