VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Head of the Fiscal Policy Office of the Ministry of Finance, Febrio Nathan Kacaribu, estimates re-implementing large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) in Jakarta will have a small impact on the economic sector.

"The impact on our estimation is minimal. So, for PSBB, we see that the impact is not too big," he said in an online discussion in Jakarta, Friday.

Febrio stated that this happened because the trend of mobility in the retail sector was heading in a positive direction from the previous one in April and May which experienced deep pressure.

"The mobility trend for retail is in a positive direction. People have to shop," he said.

Not only that, he said that the implementation of the PSBB was only carried out in Jakarta so that there were still many other areas that contributed greatly to the Indonesian economy.

"The economy of Jakarta is only a percentage of Indonesia's, although it is relatively large. However, other regions do not have strict restrictions, although management must be careful," he said.

In addition, according to Febrio, the Indonesian economy is very agile in dealing with the COVID-19 crisis, such as the emergence of various types of food businesses to meet people's needs.

"People are getting used to the new normal but eating is not reduced and even varies. This is incredible that our economy is very agile even though it is very low compared to 2019," he said.

Even so, he emphasized that the government will continue to monitor the impact of the implementation of the PSBB which was reintroduced in Jakarta from September 14 to October 11 2020 on the economy in the third quarter of 2020.

"The impact in the third quarter is not big, but we will continue to monitor it," he said. (Antaranews)

The Mars Observer known as the Mars Geoscience / Climatology Orbiter was a robotic spacecraft with a mass of 1,018 kilograms launched by NASA on September 25, 1992. It was the first robotic mission sent to study the surface, atmosphere, climate, and magnetic field of Mars. However, this mission failed and lost communications on August 21, 1993, three days before the mission entered orbit, so any attempt to restore communications at that time was declared a failure.

The Indonesian Ambassador to the United States (US) Muhammad Lutfi seeks to promote Indonesia as a US investment destination to hundreds of US businessmen who are members of the US Chamber of Commerce (US Chamber of Commerce) and the US-ASEAN Business Council.

On Sep. 23 and 24, Ambassador Lutfi held a marathon meeting with more than 30 members of the US Chamber of Commerce and more than 70 representatives from US-ASEAN Business Council member companies scattered in various parts of the world.

"To achieve the target of economic growth before 2036 and get out of the middle-income trap, Indonesia needs to increase its investment contribution to GDP by creating a good investment climate," Ambassador Lutfi said in the release of the Indonesian Embassy in Washington DC on Friday.

Particularly related to Indonesia-US economic cooperation, Lutfi prioritized investment, two-way trade, digital connectivity, health, and human resources.

"In addition, Indonesia needs to maximize the contribution of exports and imports to GDP, as well as encourage manufacturing and industrialization. through innovation, technology transfer, and improvements to the education and health system," he added.

The appointment of Muhammad Lutfi as the new Indonesian Ambassador to the US received a positive response from US business circles.

"The election of Ambassador Lutfi as the Indonesian Ambassador to the US shows President Jokowi's seriousness in improving relations with the US in all fields, including the economy," the President of the US-ASEAN Business Council Alex Feldman said.

John Goyer, Executive Director of Southeast Asia affairs, US Chamber of Commerce, stated that Indonesia is a top priority for the US Chamber of Commerce.

The companies that attended the virtual meeting with Ambassador Lutfi came from various sectors, including the digital economy, infrastructure, energy, aviation, and health.

The US is Indonesia's 16th trading partner with total value of trade reached $30 billion (around Rp 448 trillion), the trade balance showing a surplus on the Indonesian side.

Based on data from the Indonesian Investment Coordinating Board in 2019, the US is the 7th source of foreign investment (PMA) with an investment value of $989,348.9 million (around Rp. 14.7 trillion) in 791 projects. (Antaranews)

Only three percent of the mechants and buyers at markets in the Greater Jakarta area are aware of the significance of following health protocols, especially social distancing, during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a survey.

"The survey was conducted by interviewing traders and buyers at markets about the awareness of market merchants viewed as being one group prone to contracting COVID-19," Secretary-General of the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) Sudirman Said noted in a press statement here on Thursday.

The survey was conducted by PMI, the International Federation of Red Cross & Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and supported by the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

The survey conducted on traders and buyers at markets in Jakarta and its suburban satellite cities of Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi aimed to curtail the transmission of COVID-19.

The survey showed that 85 percent of the respondents were unaware of ways to prevent COVID-19, some 80 percent still made payments through cash, while 69 percent think there is not enough space to maintain a safe required distance between traders and buyers.

The lack of moving space posed a challenge for market visitors to practice social distancing, he pointed out.

Said opined that market operators or associations should integrate audio in their campaign for observing health protocols, including the correct way to use masks, maintain social distancing, and lead a healthy lifestyle.

Market operators should routinely call on market merchants to always wear masks while conducting their activities. (Antaranews)