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October
Mobilizing Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises amid Covid-19 Pandemic
Written by Maryati
The Covid-19 pandemic cannot be predicted to be over within one or two years. For Indonesia, this means that it will still be very dependent on the domestic economy. The problems of employment, food and health are the three main aspects that are currently faced. Currently, unemployment and poverty rates in various countries continue to increase, including in Indonesia. The pandemic has caused many people to lose their jobs and income, which has resulted in lower purchasing power.
In regard to this domestic economic condition, Indonesia relies on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises to keep the wheels of the economy moving. In fact, they are also having a tremendous impact of the pandemic. In 1998, Indonesia experienced an economic crisis that hit several countries but was not as global as this time. At that time, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises emerged as saviors of the national economy, with exports rising 350%. Now, what is happening is a global crisis which also affects Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises from two sides, namely supply and demand.
The government then provides stimulants to revive Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in the form of a national economic recovery policy. Take for example, the government keeps trying to provide them for cash flow, especially connected to banking institutions. The government has also allocated funds amounting to Rp123 trillion for the program as well as debt restructuring, namely a 6-month delay in debt repayments. Many Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises have difficulty paying installments due to the low demand and income. In addition, the government also subsidizes installment interest of 6% and provides tax subsidies up to 0%, and offers new loans with only 3% interest. Currently, the absorption of the program has reached 52.77%.
For micro businesses that have not been reached by banks or bankable and have not received bank financing, they will be assisted through productive Presidential Assistance.
It is hoped that the National Economic Recovery Program will be able to make Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises strong again and become a motor of the national economy.
October
There is no party that doesn't end. But no one expects a party to turn into chaos, especially in the context of the General Election which is often referred to as the Democratic Party.
Kyrgyzstan, a former Soviet Union state, has just completed the general election process. However, until now there are still waves of protests and demonstrations by residents. Thousands of people took to the streets in the capital, Bishkek because they did not accept the final results of the general election in Kyrgyzstan. Apart from Bishkek, there were a number of small demonstrations taking place in other cities.
On Monday (05/10), demonstrators totaling around 1.000 people flooded the streets of Bishkek. Quoted from Sputnik, the demonstrators came from supporters of parties whose votes were insufficient. So, they did not get legislative seats in the government.
Protesters who gathered at Ala Too Square demanded a revision of the election results last Sunday. They also accused the government of deliberately fabricating the election results and there was practice of buying and selling votes. Anti-government protests also spread in several provincial centers on Tuesday (6/10). Meanwhile, supporters of President Sooronbai Jeenbekov gathered in the southern city of Osh, calling for unity and order.
Kyrgyzstan, which has a population of 6.5 million, and is known to be closely allied with Russia, does have a history of political instability. Over the last 15 years, two of its presidents have been overthrown by mass action and rebellions.
The mass actions that have occurred in Bishkek and its surroundings recently might happen again. Even, Kyrgyzstan's Election Commission announced on Tuesday that it would cancel parliamentary election results after a wave of protests broke out in the country
Hopefully, Kyrgyzstan can quickly solve its problems on its democratic journey towards a better future.
October
Job Creation Law Encourages Migration of TV Broadcast from Analog into Digital
Written by nuke
OMNIBUS LAW FLICKERRIVER
The Job Creation Draft Bill was officially ratified as Law on Monday afternoon (5/10) after going through more than 7-month of discussion between the House of Representative and the government. Job Creation Law will make significant change for broadcasting and telecommunication sectors, including migration of TV broadcast from analog into digital.
This migration had been planned since 2009. However it is not realized until now because of lacking legal basis. It made Indonesia left far behind in digitalization of terrestrial TV systems. Some European countries since World Radiocommunication Conferences in 2007 had finished with the TV digitalization more than one decade ago. Meanwhile Asian countries such as Japan had finished in 2011 and South Korea in 2012. Thailand and Vietnam had begu the finishing of TV digitalization named Analog Switch-Off or ASO gradually in 2020. Malaysia and Singapore had done their ASO nationally in 2019.
Acceleration of TV digitalization is a big Indonesian development agenda that must be realized soon. There are some reasons. First is for public interest, TV digitalization aims to provide more efficient and optimal broadcast quality. Until now, people felt left behind because of broadcast quality that is not suitable for advanced technology.
Referring to data from Nielsen, 69% of Indonesian people still watch TV through terrestrial or free-to-air systems by using analog technology. This is ironic since people have been using Smart TV but cannot enjoy digital broadcast. Secondly, from a value-added aspect of frequency arrangement, with digitalization acceleration, frequency can be rearranged and used for other services, mainly for public service and fast internet service.
Some countries had used the result of frequency spectrum efficiency resulting from TV broadcast digitalization to increase faster internet access. It is then hoped that business people and investors of the broadcasting sector would immediately build synergy to support the migration of analog TV into digital.
October
photo : JP
Indonesia and UN Habitat commemorate World Habitat Day 2020. Surabaya is hosting the Global Observance of World Habitat Day 2020 (The Global Observance of World Habitat Day 2020) on 5 and 6 October 2020. The theme raised at this year's commemoration is “Housing for All: A Better Urban Future, Housing for All: A Better Urban Future. President Joko Widodo considered this theme very appropriate. In his speech delivered virtually, on Monday (5/10), he said, home is everyone's basic need. Home strengthens the family as the main pillar of the nation's strength. Homes are also a main stronghold against various health risks, including the Covid-19 pandemic. Facts have shown that amid the Covid-19 pandemic, it is the house that becomes the major stronghold against the spread of the new coronavirus. Appeals to stay at home, school from home, work from home and worship from home, have been implemented in almost all affected countries, since the World Health Organization -WHO declared Covid-19 a pandemic.
Then, a question arises ‘Do all families have a house that can be a strongholdfor their family?’ Housing is indeed a problem faced by a lot of countries. The UN Secretary General, Antonio Gutteres, in his statement on World Habitat Day 2020, said that currently, one billion people live in crowded settlements with inadequate housing. To meet global demand, more than 96,000 housing units must be completed every day - and they must be part of the green transition. The housing issue is also a special concern of President Joko Widodo's administration. Since 2015, Indonesia has planned to build one million housing units every year. Data shows that in 2018 and 2019, this target had been exceeded. In 2019, more than 1.2 million housing units were completed. This year’s the achievements are different from the previous years’ achievements. Based on data from the Directorate General of Housing of the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing until the third quarter of August 2020, there were 264,457 housing units that have been built. The Covid-19 pandemic has a very significant impact on the implementation of the One-Million Home Program. However, Indonesia is optimistic that the target of one million houses this year can be achieved.
It’s hard to realize the construction of a million houses every year, especially for low-income residents. The awareness of all related stakeholders to provide adequate housing is a shared responsibility to support the construction of a million houses. The full involvement of the government, financial institutions, the private sector and the community towards the One-Million Home Program can accelerate the achievement of the Indonesian government's target for fulfilling the rights of every citizen to housing. So, every family in Indonesia can have a livable house that can be a stronghold for every occupant. In the future, the houses that are built will not only function as housing, but also become a place of livelihood. Covid-19 has provided such lessons. The One-Million Home Program every year is a real proof of the responsibility of the Indonesian government that no one is left behind.
October
The Role of Indonesian National Military in Facing COVID-19 pandemic
Written by Maryati
Every October 5 is commemorated as the birthday of the Indonesian National Military (TNI). Since its establishment on October 5, 1945, the TNI has undergone many organizational developments and improvements in carrying out its role in maintaining national security and defense.
Before Indonesia's independence, there was a military institution formed by the Dutch East Indies colonial government, consisting of indigenous soldiers. It was known as the Koninklijke Nederlands (ch) -Indische Leger (KNIL) or the Dutch East Indies royal army. Then after the Dutch lost to Japan in World War II, there were also PETA soldiers (The Homeland Defenders) formed by the Japanese government to fight the allies at that time. All of this became the forerunner to the formation of the Indonesian National Military with various names during the war for independence until now.
Besides being tasked with maintaining security and order of the people and the Indonesian state, The Indonesian National Military amid the COVID-19 pandemic like today also supports the government's efforts in handling Covid-19.
The role of the TNI in dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic was emphasized by Chairman of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), Bambang Soesatyo on Sunday (4/10). He said that the commemoration of the Anniversary of the TNI was also a momentum to show its major role in breaking the chain of Covid-19 transmission. He perceived that the TNI as an element of the nation's strength is obliged to take part in the process of solving this problem.
The TNI was involved long before the Covid-19 was decided to become a pandemic. For example, the personnel of the TNI evacuated Indonesian citizens from Wuhan, China, and set up quarantine on Galang Island. When President Joko Widodo declared Covid-19 as a pandemic, a task force was formed and this was also filled by the Regional Governments, the interrelated Ministries and other stakeholders.
Of course, the Indonesian National Military –TNI is not alone in carrying out its role in dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic. Synergy and strong cooperation between government agencies and the community is needed so that the spread of the Covid-19 virus and the number of positive cases in Indonesia can be reduced.
September
The tension between Azerbaijan and Armenia is increasing. The two countries, which have a history of conflict for decades, have re-engaged in armed clashes. On Sunday, September 27, 2020, the military forces of each country reportedly attacked each other in a border area that has long been a critical area of dispute. Military officials from both sides accused and blamed each other for the heavy artillery fire. It was reported that the incident has taken some lives including a child and a woman near Nagorny Karabakh. This region is an area on the border of Azerbaijan and Armenia which has been disputed by the two countries for many years. History records the conflict of Nagorny Karabakh has its roots in 1921. At that time, the Soviet Union included Nagorny Karabakh to become part of Azerbaijan, even though the majority of its population is ethnic Armenian.
The dissolution of the Soviet Union as a result of Perestroika in 1991, provided an opportunity for the Armenian people to separate Nagorny Karabakh from Azerbaijan. Armenian separatists supported by the Armenian government then took over and declared it a separate territory which until now was not recognized by the United Nations.
The recent chaos began to occur in July 2020. This has raised fears of a resurgence of war which could result in the death of large numbers of civilians. Data says that in the post-Soviet Union war, at least 30 thousand people from both ethnicities were killed. Meanwhile, thousands of people living on the border were forced to flee. The region of the Caucasus, known for its fertility and beauty, was devastated by war.
With mediation by the United States, Russia and France, Azerbaijan and Armenia finally concluded a ceasefire. Even so, the disputed areas around Nagorny Karabakah are still prone to conflict, as happened last July. In 2016, a violent clash had also occurred which resulted in the deaths of 110 people.
As with the internal conflicts or between neighboring countries that have occurred in several regions in the world, such as North Korea and South Korea, as well as the war in Syria, the feud between Azerbaijan and Armenia also involves foreign parties. Turkey supports Azerbaijan which is an oil rich country. In addition, historically, Armenia is known to have a hereditary grudge against Turkey. During the first world war, it was recorded that at least one and a half million Armenians were killed in the Turkish expansion, which was then under the Ottoman Empire. Armenia itself is known for a long time relying on Russia as its support, including from the military side and war equipment. Apart from historical factors, Turkish intervention also appears to be driven by political interests, namely to strengthen its influence in the Caucasus region.
The international community also paid attention to the chaos of Azerbaijan and Armenia. Economically, concerns arise because not far from the conflict area there is a pipeline that supplies fuel oil to various countries in the world.
History shows that war or armed conflict is not the ideal solution for resolving disputes. Negotiations to seek peace are the best way. However, in the conflicts of Azerbaijan and Armenia, the resentment and hatred that has been ingrained since decades can become an obstacle to peace. Especially when the political and economic interests of other countries have played a major role.
September
The villages in Indonesia, which reaches more than 75,000, should become the backbone of the economy amid the Covid-19 pandemic. To encourage the rural economy, village infrastructure must, of course, continue to be improved by providing cash-intensive stimulus village funds which are aimed at maintaining productivity.
President Joko Widodo in a limited cabinet meeting on Thursday (24/9), emphasized that the crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic should be a momentum to carry out reforms and to plan a grand strategy in a bid to support the economy, especially in the villages.
The President asked that all program schemes related to rural social protection nets, such as the family hope program, cash social assistance, village cash transfers and so on can run effectively and appropriately.
Likewise with the implementation of cash for work in rural areas, it must be escorted by adhering to health protocols. So, it can reduce the burden on rural communities who may lose their jobs or have difficulty finding work in amid the Covid-19 pandemic, or those from underprivileged circles.
Furthermore, President Joko WI dodo also instructed relevant officials to consolidate the ministries’ programs that can improve the village economy.
According to President Joko Widodo, each ministry should not run the program independently. They must integrate themselves into program schemes that complement each other. Unless, the results will not be visible.
In addition, each village must also be directed to develop its local potential in order to strengthen the village's economic leverage.
The President emphasized that villagers must be provided space for participation and creation in advancing the village's leading sectors, such as those related to agriculture, village tourism, and craft industry in rural areas.
Currently, more than 75 percent of Indonesia's population is in rural areas. This means that the future of this country should no longer be located in cities but in rural areas, especially in the current pandemic conditions. In the future, the city should only be a service provider, while the centers of production activities will be in the villages.
September
Many people guess what relationship will occur between the United Arab Emirates -UAE and Israel after being mediated by the United States of America. It turned out that the move was followed by a series of announcements about business deals and contracts between companies of both countries. What has caught the eye is that a number of the UAE companies have signed contracts with Israeli companies and banks. Although they are on the UN blacklist for supporting illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank, it is known that among the contracts announced by the UAE media, one of them involved Bank Leumi, whose name is on the UN blacklist.
According to the official Emirati media, this Israeli bank has signed agreements with the top three UAE banks namely Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB), First Abu Dhabi Bank and Emirates NBD. Bank Leumi is Israel's largest bank based on total assets as of 2015, with branch offices in several countries such as Luxembourg, United States, Switzerland, the UK and China. Although it was nationalized in 1981, most of the bank's shares are now in private hands. The Israeli government is still the largest shareholder with 14.8% of the shares (as of June 2006).
In 2016 and 2018, the UN Human Rights Council approved resolutions to compile a blacklist of companies operating in illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The development of settlements and infrastructure has caused Palestinians to lose their freedom of movement and religion, including access to education. Palestinian Prime Minister, Mohammed Shtayyeh, in an Arabnews post said that these companies are scooping up the natural resources of the Palestinian territories, thereby reducing the population of their natural wealth. For this reason, PM Mohammed Shtayyeh demanded that they immediately close their headquarters and branches in illegal Israeli settlements. According to PM Mohammed Shtayyeh, the presence of these companies is against the attitude of the international community and the UN resolutions.
From the cooperation with Leumi Bank which is blacklisted by the UN, it is clear that both the UAE and Israel are prioritizing their interests without caring for other parties, including the UN, let alone Palestine.
Naturally, this matter will be in the spotlight and it causes concern. Will this disrespect of the international community's concerns regarding the Palestinian issue continue?
September
The 2020 Simultaneous Regional Head Election to take place on schedule
Written by nuke
PHOTO : MONITORKEADILAN
Apart from the Covid-19 pandemic, something that has received full attention of the Indonesian people is the 2020 simultaneous Regional Head Election (Pilkada 2020). The 2020 Pilkada is scheduled to be held simultaneously on December 9, 2020, in 270 cities and regencies across 9 provinces in Indonesia. Over the last few days, proposal for postponement of the Pilkada 2020 hasarisen due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The proposal to postpone the 2020 Pilkada came from various groups, such as the Governors, the largest Religious Organization in Indonesia, and the 12th Vice President Jusuf Kalla. In an interview with a TV station, Jusuf Kalla said that the implementation of the Pilkada on schedule is a choice, namely the choice of taking risks to the people or the choice of choosing a leader who could actually be postponed.
The choice has been made by the Indonesian Government. Presidential Spokesperson, Fadjroel Rachman in a media release published Monday (21/9) entitled ‘Pilkada on schedule, democratic and safe for Covid-19.’ He said that the Pilkada will be on schedule to safeguard the people's constitutional rights, the rights to be voted and the rights to vote. The 2020 Pilkada will be held with the application of strict health protocols. President Joko Widodo reaffirmed that the 2020 Pilkada will continue to be held on schedule. Because no single country knows when the Covid-19 pandemic will shake off. Thereby, the implementation of Pilkada must follow strict health protocols in order to be safe and remain democratic. The implementation of the Pilkada according to schedule also shows the international community that Indonesia is a constitutional democracy and maintains the sustainability of a democratic government system in accordance with the Pancasila ideology and the 1945 constitution.
The 2020 Pilkada must continue. What must be prepared so that it will take place according to the schedule is democratic and safe from Covid-19. On schedule and democratically, God’s willing; Indonesia is able to implement it. The fact is that success of the 2019 simultaneous general election has proven. Heavy duties and responsibilities for organizers, Pilkada participants, supporting parties, supporters and citizens are safe from Covid-19. There is a habit of Indonesian people who are always enthusiastic in every Democratic Party by getting to know the candidates who will be selected. It is undeniable that this could still occur. Obedience to maintaining health protocols is possible to ignore. This is the hard work for the 2020 Pilkada organizers, namely the General Election Commission -KPU. Hopefully, there is still enough time to prepare more appropriate methods and models in the preparation process until the Pilkada implementation. Maybe it can make proposals from many parties to carry out Pilkada by e-voting. Candidates for regional heads and their success teams must think about a more appropriate campaign method by prioritizing the health of their citizens. Of course, prospective voters must improve their awareness of implementing health protocols. Because it cannot be denied that the key success of the 2020 Pilkada which is on schedule, democratic and safe from Covid-9 is the prospective voters.
Hopefully, the Covid-19 pandemic will soon fade away and the world will come to healthy life.
September
The Covid-19 pandemic that has hit the world since the end of 2019 has brought about an impact on all aspects of human life in the world. Besides health sector, almost all sectors are affected both socially and economically.
Various efforts have been carried out by countries in the world to overcome the effects of this pandemic. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), no country is fully prepared to deal with it.
Take for example Indonesia; to deal with the impact of the pandemic, the government has made various efforts by strengthening the health sector in a bid to ensure access for everyone to good-quality health services. In addition, the Indonesian government is also carrying out economic recovery efforts, namely by providing support to affected communities, including Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and the business world.
Efforts to overcome the impact of the pandemic are carried out by not only the Indonesian government at home, but also other countries such as those who are members of the G20 to jointly pursue collaboration.
Indonesian Minister of Finance, Sri Mulyani Indrawati in her official statement in Jakarta, Sunday (20/9), said that member countries of the G20 have agreed to continue to co-work and carry out global actions, especially to deal with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in the health, social and economic sectors. The G20 countries will continue to implement policies to protect lives, jobs and incomes, support the global economic recovery, and boost the resilience of health and financial systems.
In the health sector, global cooperation among the G20 countries is carried out on vaccines. The G20 countries are expected to be the driving force for equal access to the Covid-19 vaccine at an affordable price for everyone.
The Covid-19 pandemic has brought about not only negative impacts on social, economic and health sectors, but also improvement of the world cooperation and solidarity. Countries, that are less affected or that have recovered from the Covid-19 pandemic, are helping countries that are still affected. All have to account for and take part in the global action against the Covid-19 pandemic.