Central java indonesia

JAKARTA: Only last week Luhut Pandjaitan, Indonesia’s maritime minister and close confidant of the country’s president, touted herbal mangosteen juice as a coronavirus remedy. His suggestion was the latest in a string of unorthodox treatments put forward by the president’s Cabinet over the past six months, ranging from prayer to rice wrapped in banana-leaf to eucalyptus necklaces. The remedies reflect the unscientific approach to battling the coronavirus in the world’s fourth-most populous country, where the rate of testing is among the world’s lowest, contact tracing is minimal, and authorities have resisted lockdowns even as infections spiked. Indonesia has officially reported 6,346 deaths from COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, the highest overall toll in Southeast Asia. Including people who died with acute COVID-19 symptoms but were not tested, the death toll is three times higher. Indonesia shows no signs of containing the virus. It now has the fastest … [Read more...] about Endless first wave: How Indonesia failed to control COVID-19

JAKARTA: Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo said he wants to deepen ties and increase cooperation across sectors with Singapore - his country's biggest investor - in an exclusive interview with CNA on Tuesday (Aug 6). “I think moving forward, we will continue to work with Singapore and especially in Batam, Bintan, and Karimun areas. I think we have a lot of cooperation there, whether in the digital sector, the economy, in the tourism sector, industrial sector. I think we will have a lot of cooperation in those areas,” said the former mayor of Solo, more commonly known by the moniker “Jokowi”. Indonesia currently has plans to build its longest sea bridge , connecting the islands of Batam and Bintan which are located near Singapore. The bridge will span seven kilometres with construction expected to begin in 2020. Once completed, having the sea bridge could ease travel and boost business between the two countries. Mr Widodo is also looking to work together with Singapore on … [Read more...] about Indonesia ready for greater cooperation with Singapore across industries: President Joko Widodo

JAKARTA: Indonesia could lift its pace of economic growth to an average of 6 per cent annually during President Joko Widodo's second term in office, if it can attract more investment under the best-case scenario put forward by the country's planning ministry. Widodo is due to approve the proposal, which was made public on Wednesday (Jul 24) in a consultation forum with regional governments, when he starts his next five-year term on Oct 20. The planning ministry presented three scenarios in growth forecasts up until 2024, with the most pessimistic seeing average GDP growth of 5.4 per cent a year, a middle scenario of 5.7 per cent and the most optimistic 6 per cent. READ: Indonesia president pledges more infrastructure, investment in second term All would represent an acceleration from the roughly 5 per cent growth rate that Southeast Asia's largest economy has been stuck at in the last few years. The economy has been held back by depressed prices of commodities and higher … [Read more...] about Indonesia’s planning ministry targets up to 6% GDP growth in next 5 yrs

SEPAKU, East Kalimantan: Since Indonesian President Joko Widodo announced the relocation of the country’s capital from Jakarta to East Kalimantan in late August, Mr Sikbukdin has received at least five calls from strangers asking whether he is interested to sell his land. “I told them no, I am not selling my land. The land is for my children,” the 56-year-old head of the Paser Balik tribe said. The locals said land value in Penajam Paser Utara and Kutai Kertanegara districts – the two districts set to house the new capital – has surged immediately following Mr Widodo’s announcement. Business-minded agents wasted no time to spring into action, actively approaching the locals to broach the possibility of them putting up their land for sale. “Agents from Berau, Tarakan, Tenggarong (in Kalimantan), and even Surabaya and Jakarta have contacted me. They are really aggressive,” Mr Sikbukdin, who goes by one name, told CNA. The Indonesian government is determined to … [Read more...] about New Indonesia capital: Land prices set to soar but not all locals thrilled

JAKARTA: A massive blackout that lasted more than eight hours in parts of Indonesia’s Java Island on Sunday (Aug 4) caused gridlocks and disruption to services and facilities to tens of millions of Indonesians, particularly those in the capital Jakarta. Banker Heru Cahyono told CNA that he was at a shopping mall in East Jakarta when the blackout hit just minutes before noon. “I was inside a film theatre when the power went down midway through the show,” he said adding that the mall’s power generator failed to keep the lights and air-conditioning on. “Security guards had to usher mall goers to the exits and parking lots using flashlights because the whole mall was dark. I spent the next one hour at an underground parking lot because everyone was dying to get out.” Meta Cahayani, a shopkeeper at another mall in South Jakarta was less fortunate. Ms Cahayani said her employer insisted that her mobile phone shop remain open after the mall’s management fired up the generator to … [Read more...] about Jakartans reel from services disruption, traffic gridlock amid massive Java island blackout