VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Asian markets were mostly higher on Friday after the latest US coronavirus stimulus measures boosted Wall Street overnight. As quoted by AFP.com Friday March 10, in its latest attempt to ease the economic pain inflicted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the US Federal Reserve said it would pump $2.3 trillion through new lending programmes.

The strong close on Wall Street boosted Tokyo's benchmark Nikkei 225, which finished 0.8 percent higher. Mutsumi Kagawa, chief global strategist at Rakuten Securities stated the market remains in a "tug-of-war between those who are pessimistic about the pandemic and those who are optimistic, they don't want to miss a rare chance to buy" shares at low prices//AFP

In the past several weeks, the government has expanded several social assistance programs for low-income citizens across the country affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. As stated by Jakartapost.com  President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo said  that the government had made it a top priority to ensure citizens’ basic needs were met. The President also expressed confidence the government could maintain the purchasing power of low-income people during the crisis.

From cash transfers for Jakarta residents to financial aid for bus drivers, these are the programs the government has launched to help low-income citizens during the outbreak. The President said he hoped the social aid would help dissuade people from participating in the annual Idul Fitri mudik (exodus), which is feared will increase the spread of the disease//JP

The Saudi government has sent home Indonesian umroh pilgrims and citizens found guilty of violating immigration rules, according to the Indonesian Foreign Ministry. They are scheduled to arrive in Indonesia April 9). The Saudi government has readied aircraft to send home our umroh pilgrims, including those overstaying since September 1 last year, Director of Indonesian Citizens and Legal Entities Protection of the Indonesian Foreign Ministry Judha Nugraha noted, during a press conference held via videoconference on Thursday as quoted by Antara. Medical tests will be conducted on the Indonesian nationals upon arrival in Indonesia despite having undergone similar tests in Saudi Arabia, he revealed. Meanwhile  as many as 17 Indonesian members of the jamaah tabligh in India are still receiving medical treatment at a local hospital for coronavirus infection, while 10 others have recovered from the disease. 

Nugraha said more than 984 Indonesian members of the jamaah tabligh are currently staying in nine countries including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Philippines and Nepal. Indonesian foreign mininstry have difficulties in registering the members of the jamaah tabligh since they did not report to the missions. So the mininstry have made every effort to contact them and coordinated with their head office in Jakarta to register them. The Indonesian government on March 17, 2020 called on all Indonesians abroad to return home or face the risk of lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic//Ant

The United Cities and Local Government (UCLG) for Asia and the Pacific have come up with a joint strategy to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, its chairperson stated. UCLG President Tri Rismaharini, currently Surabaya mayor, spoke of having held a limited meeting via teleconference with UCLG-Aspac members at the Surabaya City Hall on Thursday.

"We believe the COVID-19 pandemic can be handled as soon as possible so that matters can return to normalcy, and we can meet together directly," she noted as quoted by Antara.

The UCLG-Aspac members participating in the limited meeting comprised UCGL-Aspac Secretary-General Bernadia Irawati, Chair of UCLG Standing Committee of Women in Local Governments Chen Yini, Mayor of South Korea's Jeonju Kim Seung-soo, and Mayor of the Philippines' Iriga Madelaine Alfelor. The other participants were Malaysia's Subang Jaya Mayor Noraini Binti Roslan, Professor, Graduate School of Media and Governance of Japan's Keio University Dr. Rajib Shaw, and Head of Incheon ONEA-GETI, UNDRR, Sanjaya Bhatia. Hence, Rismahirini has positively welcomed the launch of condensed guidance by local governments in Asia as one of the instruments to support the strategy to fight the COVID-19 pandemic in their respective cities. (ANTARA)