VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Sequoia Capital India has chosen 15 start-ups from Southeast Asia and India to participate in its third acceleration program, Surge 03. Three of the 15 are Indonesia-based early-stage start-ups, namely a bookkeeping application for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) BukuKas, edtech platform CoLearn and cloud kitchen service Hangry. Meanwhile, the other start-ups are from India, Singapore and Vietnam, with businesses in the software as a service (SaaS) sector as well as development tools, education, health and food and beverages. Surge and Sequoia Capital India managing director Rajan Anandan said in a written statement recently that the capital firm had been working with start-ups from Indonesia, Singapore and Vietnam in two of its previous cohort programs. According to Rajan Anandan, the start-ups ecosystem in Southeast Asia is growing rapidly along with the development of its digital and mobile first economy//JP

Indonesia has raised another Rp 62.62 trillion (US$4.05 billion) from government debt papers (SUN) and is in talks with several development banks to raise another $750 million to finance its widening state budget amid the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. The Finance Ministry’s director for government debt papers, Deni Ridwan, said the government had issued three series of bonds through private placements with commercial and shariah banks on Monday. Deni told The Jakarta Post by text message on Tuesday that banks are the buyers in the private placements as they look to meet Bank Indonesia’s new requirement of higher reserves in government bonds. Bank Indonesia (BI) requires that bank buy government bonds after cutting banks’ reserve requirement ratio by 200 basis points (bps) for commercial banks and 50 bps for sharia banks, providing the financial system with Rp 102 trillion in liquidity in a move that is expected to help the government fund the COVID-19 battle, Governor Perry Warjiyo said recently. Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said that the government is also in talks to earn $750 million worth of loans from several development banks, namely the Islamic Development Bank, the World Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). The World Bank and the AIIB were also committed to providing $250 million in funds each for Indonesia’s COVID-19 response, according to the minister. The Asian Development Bank (ADB), meanwhile, has approved $1.5 billion in loans to support Indonesia’s efforts to strengthen public health and the economy//JP

Jakarta Health Agency has noted that as many as 1,595 people have used mental health and psychosocial services since it is operated on March 30 to April 24. This service is opened for people under monitoring (ODP) and patients under surveillance (PDP) and mild COVID-19 positive patients undergoing independent isolation. Jakarta Health Agency Head, Widyastuti, Tuesday explained residents who need this service can access the website at sahjiwa-dinkes.jakarta.go.id/, then press Bercerita button. In this service, psychologists for mental health will contact patients to provide motivation and enthusiasm and keep thinking positive. While those who call the call center 112 and need further counseling will be forwarded to the nearest Puskesmas service hotline according to the client's domicile. To support it, her agency has cooperated with the Indonesian Psychiatric Association (PDSKJI), Indonesian Psychologists Association (HIMPSI) and Clinical Psychologist Association (IPK). She also has a team that compiles a mental health and psychosocial support system for recording and reporting such as name, national identity number (NIK) and address based data. The data is then reported to the Health Agency every Monday and Thursday//beritajakarta

South korean Presiden Moon Jae-In has call on the government to go on a national crisis voting by concentrating all it’s capacity to overcome the economic crisis trigered by Covid-19. Speaking at the cabinet meeting on Tuesday (27/04/20) the president liken the situation economic to war time and warn the condition could get worsten in second quarter. South Korea economy contracted on 1,4 percent on quarter in the first three month of this year, the biggest quarterly slumping over 11 years.

"The economic shock is becoming apparent across all industries. Economically this is a war time situation. As government, we need to be swift above all. The damage will become greater and the difficulties of the people and business more severe if the implementation of measure is delayed" the President said. 

The President order official authority prepare so house hold can quickly to apply for monthly relief payment. The national assembly is expect to vote on extra budget bill tha will be use to fund the scheme on Wednesday. The president also highlight the need for agressive investment and the swift implementation of scheme that spur comsumption adding that the third extra budget will be use to finance a comprehensive plan to promote spending.

"We must not lose this opportunity for a third suplementary budget. The time has come for measure to revive consumption, because now quarantine and our daily life must go on the same time. People will start their normal socio economic activities while abiding to quarantine guidelines and regulation" President added. 

In addition President Moon emphasized need for South Korean version of a new deal to stimulate job creation. Calling on official to use a country strength directively carry out at large scale project on information and technology//NK