VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

As many as 246 Indonesian citizens and migrant workers returned to Indonesia from Brunei Darussalam on board a special repatriation flight on Sunday (July 19, 2020). (Handout- Indonesian Embassy in Bandar Seri Begawan).

The Indonesian Embassy in Bandar Seri Begawan has so far arranged six special flights to help nearly one thousand Indonesian citizens fly back to the country from Brunei Darussalam.  

On Sunday, July 19, 2020, the embassy arranged its sixth special flight to Jakarta to repatriate 246 Indonesian citizens and migrant workers.

As many as 912 Indonesian citizens and migrant workers have returned to the country from Brunei Darussalam on the six special flights, according to a press release issued by the Indonesian Embassy in Bandar Seri Begawan, which was received in Jakarta on Monday.

The first special flight was arranged by the embassy on May 1, 2020, and was bound for Jakarta; the second flight, bound for Jakarta, was arranged on May 15; the third flight, bound for Surabaya, was operated on May 17, 2020; the fourth flight, bound for Jakarta, on June 21, 2020; and, the fifth flight, bound for Jakarta, on July 5, 2020.

 The sixth flight carried three seriously ill Indonesian citizens and seven Bruneian diplomats with their families to Indonesia, bringing the total number of passengers on board to 253.

"Taking into account that there are still many Indonesian citizens and migrant workers still submitting requests to return to Indonesia, the Indonesian Embassy is planning a seventh special flight in August, but this time to Surabaya," said Indonesian Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam, Sujatmiko.

Ambassador Sujatmiko further explained that the seventh flight will accommodate Indonesian citizens and migrant workers hailing from East Java and its surrounding areas.

He also expressed the hope that by September this year, the Royal Brunei Airlines will resume normal flight operations to Indonesia, especially to Jakarta, Surabaya, and Bali.

Except for the repatriation of the seriously ill and those released from prison, the return of Indonesian nationals was self-funded. A majority of those who returned from Brunei Darussalam were migrant workers whose employment contracts had expired. The Indonesian Embassy in Bandar Seri Begawan provided all passengers with gloves, masks, and travel permits. In addition, each passenger was asked to fill a yellow card (Health Alert Card) issued by the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia.

Upon their arrival in Indonesia, returnees are undergoing COVID-19 screening and protocols, including a swab test and a 14-day quarantine. (ANTARA)

A screenshot. The Fiscal Policy Agency (BKF) head Febrio Kacaribu during a webinar to safeguard Indonesia's economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Jakarta on Monday. (20/7/2020). ANTARA/Dewa Wiguna

The Indonesian government, through the Fiscal Policy Agency (BKF) of the Ministry of Finance, is preparing the National Economic Recovery (PEN) Program for 2021 since the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is projected to continue.

"The 2020 national economic recovery program must be continued in 2021," BKF Head Febrio Kacaribu stated during a webinar to safeguard Indonesia's economic survival amid the COVID-19 pandemic held in Jakarta on Monday.

Kacaribu noted that allocation for the 2021 PEN Program encompasses a focus on social protection, MSMEs, as well as sectoral ministries and institutions and local governments.

The BKF head expounded that the cost for social protection is estimated to not fall too far from the budget allotment for the 2020 PEN that reaches Rp203.9 trillion.

Kacaribu explained that the large allocation for social protection was based on his estimation that unemployment and poverty would still be rife in 2021.

"We will also support MSMEs and regional governments, especially the labor-intensive ones," he noted.

With the continuation of the PEN program, allocation to offset the 2021 state budget deficit is estimated to still be above three percent.

In the macroeconomic policy principles for the preparation of the 2021 state budget drafting, the government proposed a budget deficit of up to 4.17 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP).

However, Kacaribu estimates that budget deficit in the 2021 state budget draft is wider than the earlier proposed 4.5-4.7 percent of the GDP after consultation with the House of Representatives and several parties.

As is known, the handling costs, including the 2020 PEN, reached Rp.695.20 trillion, resulting in a 2020 National Budget deficit of 6.34 percent. (ANTARA)

President director of Pupuk Indonesia, Aas Asikin Idat (center). (ANTARA /HO-Pupuk Indonesia)

PT Pupuk Indonesia (Persero), Indonesia's largest state-owned fertilizer company, on Monday issued bonds worth Rp2.5 trillion as part of the first phase of its Sustainable Public Offering (PUB) in 2020.

Pupuk Indonesia plans to release bonds worth a total of Rp8 trillion under its Sustainable Public Offering (PUB) II.

The bond issuance is part of the company's strategy to diversify external funding sources apart from banks, president director of Pupuk Indonesia, Aas Asikin Idat, said in Jakarta on Monday

"In addition to diversifying funding sources, this is one of our efforts to reduce interest rate volatility by switching from variable rate to fixed rate, so that we can have long-term efficiency," he said at an online press conference.

The bond funds will be used for re-profiling debt (bank loans and bonds), both at the parent company and subsidiaries.
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Idat said he is optimistic the bond issuance target can be absorbed by the market given the company's stable performance, which has, in fact, shown an improvement, even amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the first phase of PUB II this year, Pupuk Indonesia will release bonds in three tranches: Series A with a 3-year tenor, Series B with a 5-year tenor, and Series C with a 7-year tenor. Interest payments will be made quarterly, calculated using the 30/360 convention.

For Series A bonds with a tenor of 3 years, the coupon is offered at 6.25-7.25 percent; Series B with a 5-year tenor of 7-8.30 percent; and, Series C with a 7-year tenor of 7.5--8.75 percent.

The initial bond offering period is July 16-30, 2020, while the public offering is scheduled for August 14-18, 2020.

Pupuk Indonesia has appointed PT Bahana Sekuritas, PT BCA Sekuritas, PT BNI Sekuritas, PT Danareksa Sekuritas, PT Mandiri Sekuritas as Joint Lead Underwriters (JLU), and PT Bank Mega Tbk as trustees for the bond offering.
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Pupuk Indonesia's sustainable bonds have received ‘AAA (idn)’ rating from PT Fitch Ratings Indonesia. The bonds are being issued without special collateral (clean basis).
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Pupuk Indonesia is a state-owned enterprise (BUMN) which has 10 subsidiaries with an integrated business scope. The enterprise has five fertilizer producers — PT Pupuk Iskandar Muda, PT Pupuk Sriwidjaja Palembang, PT Pupuk Kujang, PT Petrokimia Gresik, and PT Pupuk Kaltim.

It also has five non-fertilizer subsidiary companies: PT Rekayasa Industri, PT Mega Eltra, PT Pupuk Indonesia Energi, PT Pupuk Indonesia Logistik, and PT Pupuk Indonesia Pangan.

Pupuk Indonesia plays an important role in securing fertilizer supply to support the national food security program. The company has been assigned by the government to distribute fertilizers at a subsidized rate (Public Service Obligation) to all regions in Indonesia. In addition, it also sells its products to domestic commercial markets and in export markets.

In 2019, Pupuk Indonesia distributed and sold 13.76 million tons of subsidized and non-subsidized fertilizers and non-fertilizer products.

Its total income from fertilizers in 2019 stood at Rp71.3 trillion, an increase of 10 percent annually on average. Meanwhile, the BUMN’s profit increased by an average of 10 percent per year from 2017 to 2019.

Last year, Pupuk Indonesia booked a current year profit of Rp3.71 trillion, with its total assets valued at Rp135.55 trillion.

The company has managed to maintain its ranking as the top 10 global fertilizer companies based on total assets, revenue, EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization), and net profit. (ANTARA)

Erick Thohir, State Enterprises Minister, concurrently Executive Chairman of the Economic Recovery and COVID-19 Response Team. (ANTARA PHOTO/Adam Bariq/app/aww).

Indonesian State Enterprises Minister, concomitantly Executive Chairman of the Economic Recovery and COVID-19 Response Team, Erick Thohir called for the pace of economic recovery and the handling of COVID-19 to go hand-in-hand in the current scenario.

"I think in the context of today's situation, these two aspects must definitely go hand-in-hand," Thohir remarked while delivering a statement at the BUMN Ministry in Jakarta on Monday.

The minister cautioned to not misinterpret the new normal terminology in which people would go about their activities without restrictions and defying necessary adherence to health protocols to safeguard against the virus transmission.

Thohir believes that in the absence of discipline, the national economy would yet again be impacted if a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic were to strike Indonesia.

Several businesses, including the film business and cafes, have yet to reopen in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) took the decision to merge the COVID-19 Task Force and Economic Recovery Task Force under the Coordinating Economic Affairs Minister Airlangga Hartarto’s leadership so that they match and function in concert, he stated.

As the new team’s executive chairman, he decided to hold a meeting with Doni Monardo, the COVID-19 Response Task Force head, and Budi Gunardi Sadikin, the Economic Recovery Task Force head, to hold discussions on the targets to be achieved through coordination for the application of their programs.

President Jokowi signed a government regulation on economic recovery and COVID-19 handling, including the formation of the new team. (ANTARA)