Indonesia Economy Forum

[Nike]

Second Phase of MRT Construction to be Completed in 2024
Translator:
Antara
Editor:
Petir Garda Bhwana
18 February 2020 07:29 WIB

MRT which has started from the HI Roundabout to the Kota Station, is targeted for completion in 2024 due to the challenging track conditions.

"The 2.8 kilometer long tunnel stretches from the HI Roundabout to Sarinah, with two underground stations, at Thamrin and Monas. The value of this contract is around Rp4.5 trillion. The construction will continue for 58 months with a target of completion by December 2024," Jakarta MRT President Director William Sabandar said after signing the contract with the Shimizu-Adhi Karya Consortium at the HI Roundabout Station, Jakarta, Monday.

The construction of the second phase took 58 months because this line passed through the cultural preservation, Ciliwung River flow and softer land in North Jakarta, Jakarta MRT Construction Director Silvia Halim explained.

"At least 58 months, because there are indeed technical challenges that are different from Phase 1. Examples such as softer soil conditions in North Jakarta. Then various old buildings and cultural preservation, then also the Ciliwung River in the middle, between Jalan Gajah Mada and Jalan Hayam Wuruk, "Silvia Halim said.

Therefore, the company must ensure that construction is built in detail and safety aspects are guaranteed.

"All of these physical conditions must be handled with care. Development methods must also be better and stronger. We ensure that this development will be on schedule and on quality. This is why we need more time, " She said.

The first stage of phase II starts from HI Roundabout Station to Kota Station with a total length of six kilometers and consists of seven underground stations namely Thamrin, Monas, Harmoni, Sawah Besar, Mangga Besar, Glodok, and Kota.

The second phase of the construction project of Mass Rapid Transit (MRT Jakarta or Ratangga) is divided into IIA and IIB phases.

The route of the project’s IIA phase starts from Hotel Indonesia to Stasiun Kota, while the IIB phase beginning from Stasiun Kota until Ancol.

Phase IIA construction is divided into three civil contract packages. The construction period of Phase IIA will begin in March 2020 and is targeted for completion in December 2024.

The signing of the CP 201 work contract between PT MRT Jakarta (Perseroda) and Shimizu - Adhi Karya JV (SAJV) marked the start of Phase IIA development project work.

ANTARA
https://en.tempo.co/read/1308870/second-phase-of-mrt-construction-to-be-completed-in-2024

 

[Indos]

Indonesia hopes to attract $87b investment, create 3m jobs through omnibus bill: Airlangga

• Nezar Patria, Esther Samboh and Adrian Wail Akhlas
  The Jakarta Post

Jakarta / Tue, February 25, 2020 / 07:30 am

Coordinating Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto gestures during the Indonesia Onward Cabinet announcement by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo on Wednesday, October 23, 2019. (JP/Seto Wardhana)

The government is upbeat that the sweeping omnibus bill on job creation will bolster investment and open up more jobs for Indonesians, as it braces for tough public scrutiny during the bill’s deliberation at the House of Representatives.

Coordinating Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto said that the omnibus bill on job creation could help the government inch closer to its 6 percent economic growth target through Rp 1,200 trillion (US$87 billion) in projected investment.

Under a “business as usual” scenario, he added, Indonesia would attract between Rp 800 trillion and Rp 900 trillion in investment per year, therefore the bill could “add more than Rp 300 trillion” in investment into Indonesia. The country booked Rp 810 trillion in investment in 2019 from domestic and foreign investors, Coordinating Investment Board (BKPM) data shows.

“To reach the [economic] growth target of 6 percent, we need faster decision-making, a faster licensing process and to ease the doing of business for small and medium businesses,” Airlangga added during an interview with The Jakarta Post. He referred to gross domestic product (GDP) growth targets in the 2020-2024 National Medium Term Development Plan (RPJMN).

“We are targeting 3 million new jobs in the manufacturing sector, start-up companies and part-time workers.” Indonesia at present adds around 2 million jobs per year. With a young and growing population, this number is not sufficient to keep up with high school and university graduates entering the labor market.

Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto in Jakarta on Monday, February 24. 2020. (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s administration submitted the omnibus bill on job creation on Feb. 12 to the House, expecting deliberations to be concluded within 100 working days so as to attract more investment to help boost the country’s flagging economic growth rate.

Airlangga added that the government’s planned omnibus bill would open up financial access for small and medium businesses (SMEs). He went on to say that the proposed bill would also relax regulations to allow SMEs to become formal companies. “This will change the informal sector into a formal one.”

Indonesia’s economy grew 5.02 percent last year, the lowest growth rate in four years, as investment and exports cooled. Investment – the second-largest contributor to GDP growth – expanded 4.45 percent last year, a far cry from the 6.67 percent growth rate recorded in 2018.

“The omnibus bill is the government’s plan to boost investment and we really need to kick-start economic growth. The misnomers we are seeing right now are being caused by a lack of communication between the government and related stakeholders, such as investors and labor unions,” Center of Reform on Economics (CORE) Indonesia research director Piter Abdullah told The Post.

“Indonesia needs a breakthrough and the omnibus bill is that breakthrough. But the government should have communicated the proposed plan more clearly. The omnibus legislation should be drafted carefully and not be rushed.”

Read also: Guide to omnibus bill on job creation: 1,028 pages in 10 minutes

The 2020-2024 RPJMN planning document shows that Indonesia’s mid-term economic growth target is well short of the ambitious 8 percent target stipulated in the previous 2015-2019 plan. The government now hopes to realize growth of between 5.4 percent and 6 percent.

This year’s economic growth target of 5.3 percent, as documented in the 2020 state budget, has been criticized by economists as unrealistic, especially now that the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is expected to drag down economic growth in China, Indonesia’s largest trading partner and second-largest foreign investor.

“A drop of just one percentage point in China’s economic growth rate will result in a drop of 0.3 to 0.6 percentage points in Indonesia’s [growth],” Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said during a recent media briefing in Jakarta.

https://www.thejakartapost.com/news...ct-87b-investment-open-3m-jobs-airlangga.html

 

[Indos]

Zenius' new chief executive Rohan Monga and chief education officer Sabda P.S. in Jakarta on Wednesday. (JG Photo/Diana Mariska)

Zenius Gets $20m Funding From Northstar, Appoints Ex-Gojek COO as New Boss
BY DIANA MARISKA

FEBRUARY 05, 2020

Jakarta. Online learning platform Zenius has raised $20 million in funding and appointed Rohan Monga, Gojek Indonesia's former chief operating officer, as its new boss, as the company continues to develop and improve its platform.

Singapore-based private equity company Northstar Group, also an investor in Indonesia's first decacorn Gojek, lead the Series A funding, which also included early-stage venture capital firms Kinesys Group and Beenext.

Monga, who now becomes Zenius' new chief executive, said on Wednesday the funding came at a critical time as the company plans to revamp its marketing, refresh content, improve technology and hire more talents.

Monga said the platform is now targeting a younger demographic. To attract them, Zenius will create new formats to deliver content while maintaining its current identity.

Marketing will be a new focus for Zenius, with Monga admitting awareness of the platform is still low.

Its focus on product and technology will be geared toward creating a better user experience. To this end, Zenius has also opened an office in India as part of its technology center.

"We now have engineers Jakarta and India as part of our technology center. They will collaborate to scale up the platform faster," Monga said.

Some of the new funding will also go to hiring the best talents in the country.

By the end of 2019, Zenius already had 51 million users.

In December, the company announced it would give free access to its learning videos and other educational materials. Monga said this would not affect the quality of the materials they deliver.

"We know Indonesians are willing to pay [for supplemental education], and our platform is a testament to that," Monga said.

According to him, before offering free access to its materials, Zenius already commanded the highest price compared to its competitors in the educational technology sector and still remains one of its leading players.

Comparing Gojek with Zenius, Monga said even though they offer different services, the two platforms operate in similar ways and focus on similar goals.

"Gojek is a transaction platform while Zenius is an engagement platform. What's really important across both is that we operate at very high speed – to deliver our roadmaps and marketing plans, for example. [And in] both you see a similar focus on metrics, including on customer engagement, and on making sure that we're delivering better outcomes," Monga said.

Zenius founder and former chief executive, Sabda P.S, said Monga's appointment was based on his extensive experience and problem-solving ability – and also his success in making Gojek the first decacorn company in Indonesia.

Sabda will now take on the role of chief education officer at Zenius, a company he founded in 2007.

https://jakartaglobe.id/business/ze...om-northstar-appoints-exgojek-coo-as-new-boss

 

[Kansel]

Indonesia announces $742m stimulus to shield economy from virus

• Marchio Irfan Gorbiano 
and Made Anthony Iswara
  The Jakarta Post
  

PREMIUM
Jakarta / Wed, February 26, 2020 / 08:53 am

President Joko Widodo gives a speech at the cabinet plenary session at Bogor Palace, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2020.( Setneg/Handout)
The government has announced a Rp 10.3 trillion (US$742 million) stimulus package that is expected to boost consumer spending and reinvigorate Indonesia’s tourism industry, which has been deflated by the deadly coronavirus outbreak.

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani said on Tuesday that the government would disburse 
Rp 4.6 trillion to the 15.2 million beneficiaries of its staple needs program. The government will also add Rp 1.5 trillion to housing loan and down payment subsidies for low-income Indonesians.

“This is the 30 percent bottom segment. They will use the funds immediately for consumption,” Sri Mulyani said at the State Palace.

The government will also grant Rp 3.3 trillion to regional authorities to compensate for tax revenue losses from tax exemptions that are also part of the stimulus.

“We will support ten tourist destinations [...] by not collecting hotel and restaurant taxes over [the next] six months,” said Sri Mulyani.

The 10 destinations will include Yogyakarta; Malang, East Java; Manado, North Sulawesi; Bali; Mandalika, West Nusa Tenggara; Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara; Bangka Belitung province; Batam and Bintan of the Riau Islands; and all regencies in North Sumatra’s Lake Toba.

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, who has championed tourism as a new source of economic growth for Indonesia, faces a four-year low economic growth rate of 5.02 percent in 2019. The novel coronavirus may drag down growth by up to 0.6 percentage points.

Foreign tourist arrivals contracted by 2 percent in December. Chinese tourists account for 12 percent of arrivals, the second-biggest source of foreign tourism in Indonesia. The Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) has reported 40,000 room cancellations and 20,000 visitor cancellations in Bali since the outbreak became apparent in early January.

The Tuesday meeting follows a Cabinet meeting last week that unveiled a plan to provide travel discounts of up to 30 percent for both foreign and local travelers.

Several ministers who attended the Tuesday meeting said the discount would be on 25 percent of seats on airplanes that flew to the 10 destinations from March to May of this year.

To achieve this, the government will give Rp 298.5 billion worth of incentives to airlines and travel agents to attract foreign tourists to Indonesia. It will allocate another Rp 443.39 billion in discounts for domestic tourists to the 10 tourist destinations outlined in the program.

The government will also reallocate Rp 96.8 billion of the existing Rp 147 billion from the special allocation fund (DAK) for tourism toward grants for regional authorities to boost their own tourism industries.

Coordinating Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto added that passenger service charges for the 10 destinations would be cut by 20 percent during the next three months, as a result of incentives provided by state-owned airport operator Angkasa Pura (AP).

State-owned oil and gas holding company Pertamina will provide discounts for aviation fuel during the same time period, amounting to Rp 265.5 billion in value, he said.

“In the future, the government will prepare other incentives that will follow the development of the coronavirus and its impacts on the economy in early or late April,” said Airlangga.

Association of Indonesian Tour and Travel Agencies (ASITA) deputy chairman Budijanto Ardiansyah said it remained unclear how the government would channel funds to airlines, travel agents and other recipients of the incentives. He worried that directly giving beneficiaries large sums of money would result in a misuse of funds.

Budijanto suggested a more traveler-focused approach, where visitors could reimburse portions of their hotel and airline fees if they provided the necessary 
documents.
https://www.thejakartapost.com/news...2m-stimulus-to-shield-economy-from-virus.html

 

[Whizzack]

As long as we don't get sick (or too sick) with COVID-19, it seems like we won't be too bad economically...

Indonesia's domestically driven economy could be blessing in disguise amid outbreak: ADB

• Riska Rahman
  The Jakarta Post
  

Indonesia may not be affected severely by the global health emergency, thanks to its minimal exposure to the global trade and its wide room to maneuver in monetary policy, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has said.

Newly appointed ADB president Masatsugu Asakawa, speaking during a restricted media briefing in Jakarta on Wednesday, expressed his belief that Indonesia was less likely to experience a strong impact from the global outbreak compared to other countries in the region, such as Japan or Thailand.

“Indonesia isn't deeply integrated in the global supply chain, so it is still considerably fortunate compared to other countries,” Asakawa said. He added that the Indonesian economy, which was primarily driven by domestic activity, was an advantage during the global health emergency.

Indonesia is heavily dependent on domestic demand, with household consumption growing 4.97 percent year-on-year (yoy) in the fourth quarter of 2019 to account for more than 50 percent of gross domestic product (GDP).

Asakawa did not deny, however, that the outbreak would have a negative impact on the Indonesian economy, because it had already dampened the global tourism industry.

Many countries, including Indonesia, have issued travel bans and restricted flights to destinations with localized outbreaks in a bid to stem the transmission of COVID-19 – the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Although he did not provide a projection of how the outbreak might affect Indonesia, Asakawa said he believed that the country still had ample room to maneuver in macroeconomic policy and fiscal expansion to buffer the economy.

“[Bank Indonesia] Governor Perry [Warjiyo] has cut the policy rate five times so far and he can do this because Indonesia still has enough policy room to do so, unlike Japan or Europe that currently have negative interest rates,” he said. “By taking advantage of this policy room, Indonesia could accommodate future contingencies from the outbreak.”

“China has become a major player in the global economy and plays a big role in the global supply chain,” Asakawa noted, saying that he expected the COVID-19 outbreak to have a greater impact than the 2003 SARS outbreak on China’s economy as well as the global economy.

The rapid spread of the virus, which originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan at the end of 2019, has prompted the Chinese government to restrict economic activities. As a result, factory activity in China contracted to the lowest level in history in February at 35.7 on the Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI).

Figures below 50 on the PMI indicate contraction, while figures above 50 indicate expansion.

Given China's place in the global supply chain, Asakawa warned that world production and trade could see some disruption if the global epidemic lasted longer than expected.

“The virus could also impact consumption, depending on how long this outbreak lasts,” he added.

Perry echoed Asakawa’s sentiments, saying that Indonesia’s economic growth would likely drop to just 4.9 percent in the first quarter of the year. Although this would be the lowest growth in three years, it would still fall within the 1 percentage point range of the 4.97 percent growth recorded in the fourth quarter of 2019.

“That’s not a doomsday scenario, [and is] based on the V-shaped scenario we are projecting. Recovery is likely to occur over the next six months after bottoming out in February and March,” the central bank governor said while briefing chief editors on Wednesday at BI headquarters in Jakarta.

He said that possible easing measures to jack up growth included setting a lower reserve requirement for both the rupiah and the US dollar for local banks, as well as lowering the benchmark interest rate.

BI cut its benchmark rate, the seven-day reverse repo rate (7DRRR), by 25 basis points in February.

“There are plenty of BI instruments from among BI’s five main instruments that we can still use,” he said.

The bank announced five measures on Monday to stabilize the financial market and prop up the rupiah. The measures included cutting the reserve ratio to free up billions of dollars in the banking industry, which could bolster the financial market and export-import activities that had been severely hit by the outbreak.

The government has already launched a Rp 10 trillion fiscal stimulus package to support the tourism industry and boost consumer spending to counter the economic impacts of the outbreak. It is currently finalizing a second, bigger stimulus package to ease imports and exports, and to support manufacturing.

https://www.thejakartapost.com/news...e-blessing-in-disguise-amid-outbreak-adb.html

 

[Indos]

Indonesia aims to double gas production by 2030 with major projects in pipeline

• Norman Harsono
  The Jakarta Post
  

Jakarta / Mon, March 9, 2020 / 02:20 pm

The Masela oil and gas block

Indonesia is aiming to double gas production over the next 10 years to 12,300 million cubic feet per day (mmscfd) as it sets sights on becoming one of the top global gas exporters with major projects in the pipeline.

The government’s Upstream Oil and Gas Regulatory Special Task Force (SKK Migas) said in a statement on March 4 that two developments last year “added optimism” to Indonesia’s goal of becoming a leading gas producer.

He was referring to the resumption of a stalled gas project at the offshore Masela Block and the discovery of a giant gas reserve at the Sakakemang Block in South Sumatra. However, major oil and gas players told The Jakarta Post that SKKMigas was still in talks with stakeholders over how to achieve the target.

In May 2019, Indonesia concluded an 18-year negotiation with Japan’s Inpex Corp over developing a liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant in Masela, which will produce 9.5 million tons of LNG each year. Four months later, Spain’s Repsol announced the discovery of an estimated 2 trillion cubic feet (tcf) gas reserve in Sakakemang – the third-largest discovery in the Asia-Pacific last year.

SKKMigas head Dwi Soetjipto said in the statement that the gas would be used “to improve the competitiveness of domestic industries and to create an opportunity for Indonesia to once again become a leading LNG supplier to the world”.

Read also: Oil and gas players dedicate 2019 for the long-haul

Boosting domestic gas production and exports is one of Indonesia’s many strategies to turn around the country’s gaping oil and gas trade deficit that remains a key vulnerability. The deficit reached $1.18 billion in January, up 2.8 times from the previous year, Statistics Indonesia (BPS) data show.

“The vision of 12,300 mmscfd by 2030 is a challenging one, and it will require considerable effort, collaboration and investment on the part of the industry and the government to achieve this,” said Gary Selbie, country manager for Premier Oil Indonesia, the country’s seventh-largest gas producer last year, on March 6.

He said industry stakeholders had conducted preliminary discussions on meeting the goal. They also planned several meetups in the coming months to create a detailed road map to help achieve the target.

Indonesian Petroleum Association (IPA) executive director Marjolijn “Meity” Wajong told the Post on March 7 that SKKMigas had not yet engaged with the IPA over the plan but that it would do so in the near future.

“Basically, we welcome the plan to increase production as long as we can figure out how to ensure good project economics,” she said.

Read also: Indonesia projects lower oil and gas production amid low investment

SKKMigas itself has an ambitious oil production target of 1 million barrels per day (bpd) by 2030. The target, which is 1.3 times bigger than last year’s production rate of 746,000 bpd, harks back to the Indonesian oil and gas industry’s golden age in the 1980s, when oil production was above 1 million bpd and the country was a member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

In comparison to the SKKMigas target, the General National Energy Planning road map – the regulatory guide for Indonesia’s energy transition – projects oil and gas production rates to reach a much lower 667 bpd and 5,808 mmscfd respectively by 2030. Last year’s production rates were higher than the two figures.

Furthermore, Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry data shows that oil and gas investments to Indonesia last year fell 7 percent short of the US$13.4 billion annual target.

Nevertheless, Indonesia is developing two new LNG facilities that will enable higher LNG exports. Aside from Inpex’s Masela plant, British Petroleum (BP) is developing the Tangguh Train 3 in West Papua, which is expected to produce 3.8 million tons of LNG each year. The two facilities would double Indonesia’s LNG production capacity to 33.1 million tons each year by 2027.

SKKMigas noted that, of the total 2,025 billion British thermal (Bbtu) units of LNG piped in Indonesia last year, 508 Bbtu was sold domestically and 1,417 Bbtu was exported, mostly to China, Japan, South Korea, Thailand and Taiwan.

“Asia is expected to remain the dominant region [for long-term LNG demand] in the decades to come, with South and Southeast Asia generating more than half of the increased demand,” Dutch energy giant Shell wrote in its latest LNG Outlook report.

Topics :

• Gas gas-project production Masela Sakakemang gas-block SKKMigas IPA-Indonesian-Petroleum-Association Premier-Oil-Indonesia

https://www.thejakartapost.com/news...o-double-gas-production-by-2030-with-major-pr

 

[UKBengali]

@Indos

Good to see that Indonesia plans to increase production of both oil and gas in the future.

This will help to keep Indonesia self-sufficient and save tens of billions of US dollars by importing every year.

 

[Indos]

@Indos

Good to see that Indonesia plans to increase production of both oil and gas in the future.

This will help to keep Indonesia self-sufficient and save tens of billions of US dollars by importing every year.

We are not self sufficient in oil consumption any more since long time ago and import huge oil every year. There is no major finding of new oil field for the last 10 years either. So with the increase of domestic oil consumption every year, it is more likely our oil import to increase in the future until 2030.

What we are going to do in the mid term to reduce the the amount of imported oil is through building large oil refinery. If all the projects are completed in 2024 according to the plan, we expect to only import crude oil and process all of our crude oil production inside the country.

In term of gas production, the condition is much better since we export more than we consume. Despite so, domestic demand has been increasing over time and it has been shown by at least latest gas contract since 2010 where majority of the buyer is Indonesian industry and power plant.

The grand strategy is to bring manufacturing companies to invest in Indonesia where our gas production will supply them instead of supplying other countries manufacturing companies. We are now contemplating to impose domestic gas supply obligation to gas producers in Indonesia to keep domestic gas price affordable for our industry.

One example of the execution of that grand strategy is our latest ministry policy to stop gas contract with Singapore when the contract expires in 2023. The gas field is in Sumatra island where it supply Singapore industry via pipe line, the gas then will be redirected to supply industries in Sumatra to help industrializing the island.

 

[UKBengali]

We are not self sufficient in oil consumption any more since long time ago and import huge oil every year. There is no major finding of new oil field for the last 10 years either. So with the increase of domestic oil consumption every year, it is more likely our oil import to increase in the future until 2030.

What we are going to do in the mid term to reduce the the amount of imported oil is through building large oil refinery. If all the projects are completed in 2024 according to the plan, we expect to only import crude oil and process all of our crude oil production inside the country.

In term of gas production, the condition is much better since we export more than we consume. Despite so, domestic demand has been increasing over time and it has been shown by at least latest gas contract since 2010 where majority of the buyer is Indonesian industry and power plant.

The grand strategy is to bring manufacturing companies to invest in Indonesia where our gas production will supply them instead of supplying other countries manufacturing companies. We are now contemplating to impose domestic gas supply obligation to gas producers in Indonesia to keep domestic gas price affordable for our industry.

One example of the execution of that grand strategy is our latest ministry policy to stop gas contract with Singapore when the contract expires in 2023. The gas field is in Sumatra island where it supply Singapore industry via pipe line, the gas then will be redirected to supply industries in Sumatra to help industrializing the island.

Ok, stand corrected as regards Indonesia oil consumption which is above production and will remain so even with the planned increase in production up to 2030.

Still Indonesia is blessed with these oil and gas resources which not all countries have.

 

[Nike]

Very rare to see an anime ads about real estate properties

 

[Indos]

Ok, stand corrected as regards Indonesia oil consumption which is above production and will remain so even with the planned increase in production up to 2030.

Still Indonesia is blessed with these oil and gas resources which not all countries have.

That is right we are still blessed with the fact that we still have large oil and gas production compared to nation like Pakistan or India. Our oil and gas production are also vital to our economic development starting at 1970 until 1997.

Minyak=oil

Our oil import is exceeding our oil export since 1997 and at 2017 we import 216 million barrel and export 32 million barrel, so we have oil trade deficit around 183 million barrel at that year.

We are also blessed with relatively huge coal and gas production compared to so many nations. How about Bangladesh ? I want to know about your coal, gas, and oil production.

 

[UKBengali]

That is right we are still blessed with the fact that we still have large oil and gas production compared to nation like Pakistan or India. Our oil and gas production are also vital to our economic development starting at 1970 until 1997.

Minyak=oil

Our oil import is exceeding our oil export since 1997 and at 2017 we import 216 million barrel and export 32 million barrel, so we have oil trade deficit around 183 million barrel at that year.

We are also blessed with relatively huge coal and gas production compared to so many nations. How about Bangladesh ? I want to know about your coal, gas, and oil production.

BD has substantial gas reserves that it is exploiting.
In the last few years,consumption has exceeded production and so imported LNG is plugging the gap.
There are decent coal reserves but BD has so far decided not to exploit them due to the land area that will be required to operate a mine in a densely populated area.

 

[Kansel]

Indonesia’s flying taxi prototype takes test flight in Yogyakarta


News Desk
The Jakarta Post

Jakarta

Jakarta / Mon, March 9, 2020 / 12:09 pm

Yogyakarta-based startup Frogs Indonesia’s second generation of airborne electric taxis called the Frogs 282 waits to be tested at the Gading Airport in Gunungkidul regency on Saturday. (kompas.com/Markus Yuwono)

Yogyakarta-based start-up Frogs Indonesia carried out test flights of its second generation of airborne electric taxis called the Frogs 282 at Gading Airport in Gunungkidul regency on Saturday.

The electric taxi floated a few centimeters above the ground during a series of trials on Saturday, after which some technicians landed the prototype to examine it.

Frogs Indonesia cofounder Asro Nasiri said the all-electric two-seater aircraft — designed to solve the traffic problems and reduce air pollution in the country's urban areas — could lift up to 200 kilograms.

"Frogs 282 means two passengers, eight motors and second generation," Asro said, as quoted by kompas.com on Saturday.

Read also: Indonesia startup unveils working prototype of flying taxi

The company's chief technology official Dedi Satria Maulana said the test was done to detect any trouble in the airborne taxi and the trial results suggested improvements be done to the machine to cope with "a rather heavy air density" in Yogyakarta.

Developed over the past two years, the Frogs was built from a light, but with strong carbon fiber known for its high margin of safety. The prototype also boasted other safety features, such as a failsafe mechanism that allowed the motors to take over for each other should one fail midair.

Saturday’s test was undertaken to prepare for the prototype to be showcased at the upcoming 2020 Hannover Messe technology exhibition in Germany.

The exhibition was initially scheduled to take place in April. However, it had been postponed until July because of the global COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak. (vny)


https://www.thejakartapost.com/amp/...errer=https://www.google.com&amp_tf=From %1$s

 

[Kansel]

Indonesia, Netherlands agree to forge more equitable ties

• 
  
  Apriza Pinandita
  The Jakarta Post
  

PREMIUM
Jakarta / Tue, March 10, 2020 / 08:43 am

Royal tour: Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima arrive at Halim Perdanakusuma International Airport in East Jakarta on Monday. On their four-day trip to Indonesia, they will visit Jakarta, Yogyakarta, Kalimantan and Sumatra. (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)
Beginning this year, the Netherlands has stopped providing development aid to a number of countries, including Indonesia. But the Dutch have promised to replace the arrangement with a new cooperation initiative intended to bring the partners into a different, more equal phase of relations. The new relationship will be top of mind as the Dutch king begins his state visit to Indonesia.

Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi confirmed this on Monday, saying that both sides had been engaged in numerous cooperation initiatives and that it was “not merely Indonesia asking for something from the Netherlands”.

“They acknowledge the efforts we have been making so far, [...] so we have to place ourselves in the shoes of a mutual collaborator and no longer a recipient of assistance,” Retno told reporters after a meeting with Dutch counterpart Stef Blok in Jakarta.

In a recent interview with The Jakarta Post in The Hague, Dutch Foreign Minister Blok expressed optimism about the new chapter of bilateral relations, saying that the end of aid did not mean that the two countries would cooperate less.

Indonesia and the Netherlands, he said, would continue to work together in important areas where they faced the same challenges, including coastal protection, water and waste treatment and maintaining strong people-to-people bonds.

During the bilateral meeting in Jakarta, Retno and Blok raised a number of bilateral issues and inked an agreement on diplomatic training cooperation, in addition to discussing preparations for Dutch King Willem-Alexander’s three-day state visit beginning on Tuesday.

The ministers also signed a letter of intent to cooperate on the topic of women in peace and security in the future.
Through the signing of the agreement, Indonesia has started a new chapter of cooperation that supports initiatives the Netherlands has been upholding for many years, such as human rights, through demonstrating Jakarta’s commitment to providing equality for women and being more involved in peacekeeping.

King Willem-Alexander’s visit to Indonesia marks the first time in 25 years a reigning Dutch monarch has visited the country. The last time was in 1995, when Queen Beatrix – the current king’s mother – visited Indonesia and acknowledged the “painful” past of Dutch colonial rule, although she stopped short of a formal apology.


With the two nations’ complicated shared history, analysts have said the state visit provides Indonesia the opportunity to chart a new path forward, toward a relationship of equals. It also allows The Hague to project a new image of itself as a true partner rather than a former colonial master.

Teuku Rezasyah, an international relations expert at Padjadjaran University, said the new deal and the visit formed a perfect opportunity for Jakarta to strike a bargain.

"President Jokowi aims to realize his Nawacita [vision] – including integrating resources and access between land and sea. It's time for us to learn from the Dutch experience and solve our timely problems," he told the Post on Monday.

Rezasyah suggested that the Netherlands should share all relevant historical data on Indonesia that it possesses with the Indonesian people.

"Indonesia must be assertive and the Netherlands must be willing to share relevant data so we can solve our current problems by reaching back into that past," he said.

"The vision of Jokowi's administration is very much in line with the principles that the Netherlands offers. Indonesia should play its cards right and show the Dutch that we are changing, that we are capable of standing equally with them."

The Dutch king begins his official visit in Jakarta on Tuesday, with a stop at Bogor Palace in West Java, in between. During the visit, he will also go to Yogyakarta, Palangkaraya and Lake Toba in North Sumatra. (tjs)

https://www.thejakartapost.com/news...lands-agree-to-forge-more-equitable-ties.html

 

[Logam42]

PON Papua and failed of their propaganda attack during last communal riots in late 2019. And subsequent large scale manhunts made their already fractured faction to increasing cooperation and made large scale attack to push their common goals

Multiple other reasons.

1. Several failed ops in the recent past, causing pressure to have a success
2. Papua economic downturn due to transition time of the Freeport mine from open pit to shaft. I do not know how much percent of total Papua economy Freeport is, but its large. 2019 Papua province growth fall 15% because of transition period. This cause knockdown effect.
3. PON Papua, as mentioned before.
4. Higher International interest. Now they do less and get more attention ever since the Papua Riots.
5. Upcoming review of the OTSUS law, including OTSUS funds in 2021. Many local politicians have incentive to cause "Incidents" and prevent loss of Autonomy and funding.

Expect 2020 and 2021 to be rough as reason 2,4, and 5 are in effect at least until 2021.