GENERAL NEWS AND HEADLINES

Home Minister admits several ‘green zones’ have never conducted tests
Kompas (https://tinyurl.com/y4wmhhc8); Kumparan (https://tinyurl.com/y4lstx9l) 

During a discussion with the government, the Government Comptroller Agency (BPKP) and the Government Internal Supervisor Agency (APIP), Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian admitted that certain areas had been categorized as low-risk “green zones” because no COVID-19 tests had been conducted in the area.

According to Tito, the APIP must pay close attention to this. “There needs to be more supervision. There are areas with low testing capacity and no PCR [polymerase chain reaction] tests done and they are proud to be called ‘green zones,’” Tito said.

“However, after we checked, it is not that these regions have no COVID-19 cases but that they have not done any testing,” Tito added. Tito has since asked the internal supervisors to participate in strengthening COVID-19 testing capacities in these regions.

 

COVID-19 task force head urges administration to evaluate odd-even traffic policy
Detik (https://tinyurl.com/yxno4doo); Kompas (https://tinyurl.com/y4hufxxe) 

National COVID-19 task force head Doni Monardo has urged the Jakarta administration to evaluate the odd-even license plate policy. This was conveyed by Doni at a working meeting with the House of Representatives Commission VIII on Thursday.

Doni said that since the policy was reimplemented on Aug. 7, there has been a 6 to 12 percent increase in the number of Transjakarta passengers and a 3.5 percent increase in the number of Commuter Line passengers. In order to avoid crowing in public transportation, Doni said the policy’s reimplementation must be reevaluated.

 

Police suspend investigations into candidates running in 2020 regional races
The Jakarta Post (https://tinyurl.com/y38nla96) 

The police will suspend any criminal investigations involving potential or registered candidates running in the 2020 regional elections in December, according to a telegram issued by National Police chief Gen. Idham Azis.

In the telegram dated Aug. 31, Idham argued that any legal proceedings against candidates in the run-up to elections would further encourage mudslinging and smear campaigns to influence the election outcomes.

The telegram, signed by the chief detective of the police’s Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim) Comr. Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo on behalf of Idham, is also aimed at deterring any political influence among police officers and to further prevent irresponsible stakeholders from using the police in the interests of rival candidates in the elections.

National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Argo Yuwono confirmed the telegram on Wednesday.

"If the police proceed with any criminal investigations against candidates, the police could be accused of not being neutral. That's what we have to avoid,” Argo said as quoted by kompas.com.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS NEWS AND HEADLINES 

IDX to reenact preopening trade for LQ45 starting next week
Bisnis Indonesia, (https://tinyurl.com/yyxe3yaj) ; Kontan, (https://tinyurl.com/y3ezjhmj) 

The Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) will re-enact the preopening trade starting Sept. 7 for LQ45 stocks, comprising the 45 largest companies listed. IDX president director Inarno Djajadi and trading director Laksono Widodo announced in a statement that stock reference prices for preopening trade would be changed into closing prices from the previous day, not the opening price as currently used. Meanwhile, auto rejection regulation will remain unchanged. The preopening trade will last for 10 minutes, specifically from 8.45 a.m. to 8.55 am. “[Preopening trade is] being re-enacted to improve market flow and efficiency, avoiding queues of trading orders at the opening hour at 9 a.m.,” Laksono told reporters.

 

Waskita divests 30 percent stake in Becakayu toll road
CNBC Indonesia, (https://tinyurl.com/y2hyt4ed); Tempo, (https://tinyurl.com/y23kejmw) 

State-owned construction company Waskita Karya, through its subsidiary PT Waskita Toll Road, has divested its 30 percent stake in PT Kresna Kusuma Dyandra Marga (KKDM), the operator of the Bekasi-Cawang-Kampung Melayu (Becakayu) toll road. The divestment was done through a limited participation mutual fund (RDPT) worth Rp 550 billion (US$37.1 million). Waskita appointed state-owned PT Danareksa Investment Management as investment manager for this transaction and publicly listed PT Bank Central Asia (BCA) as custodian bank. “The transaction was made to support Waskita Toll Road operations,” Waskita management said in a statement.

 

Public works ministry disburses 73 percent of labor-intensive program
Bisnis Indonesia, (https://tinyurl.com/y4nmv9up); Tempo, (https://tinyurl.com/y65hpjx8) 

The Public Works and Housing Ministry disbursed 73 percent of its budget for the labor-intensive program, Rp 394.2 billion (US$26.6 million) out of Rp 540 billion, as of Aug. 30. Meanwhile, the number of workers absorbed by the program reached 14,764 workers spread across 843 districts. The ministry aims to absorb at least 15,000 workers through this program.

 

KoinWorks restructures 10 percent of loans
Kontan, (https://tinyurl.com/y36e7yju) 

Online lending company KoinWorks has restructured 10 percent of its loans due to the COVID-19 pandemic. KoinWorks CEO and cofounder Benedicto Haryono said the company had restructured 10 percent of its loans because a lot of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) were under financial strain during the pandemic. To manage its risk, KoinWorks will be cautious with MSMEs in struggling sectors and focus on MSMEs in growing sectors such as health and sports, as well as food and beverages. These sectors contributed 67.2 percent of loan growth in another KoinWorks product, namely KoinBisnis.

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