Overview- Up and Down Numbers
Indonesia Covid-19 daily infections jumped to over 40,000 a week ago but have since halved to 21,380. In a bid to use donated vaccines before they expire and become unstable, Indonesia is redoubling its vaccination efforts and extending shelf life by six months of some vaccines where feasible. The move came after Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said in February that as many as 18 million COVID-19 vaccine doses, most of which were donated to Indonesia from other countries, could expire at the end of that month.
Monday’s lower numbers gave the government confidence to relax restrictions in the metropolitan agglomeration areas of Jakarta and Surabaya and a number of regencies and cities across the archipelago starting on Tuesday, saying epidemiological indicators have improved following the third COVID-19 peak.
Travel- March 7 No Quarantines for Bali
The reopening of Bali without quarantines was pushed up a week to March 7 according to a South China Morning Post story: “From Monday (March 7), quarantine on Bali will be waived and visas on arrival will once again be available to foreign tourists. The catch, if they want to travel onward into Indonesia, is that they first have to stay on Bali for three nights.” Bali’s Tourist Board Chairman said: “The problem with quarantine now will be eliminated with the island bubble”. The government has also abolished the requirement for a sponsor or guarantor to apply for a tourist E-Visa.
However, no official circular has been published by authorities as this news was being published. The following countries can take advantage of the new rules, once the government completes the documentation: Australia, The United States of America, The United Kingdom, Germany, The Netherlands, France, Qatar, Japan, South Korea, Canada, Italy, New Zealand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Brunei Darussalam, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, Philippines.
Updated Travel Restrictions for Airplane Passengers Traveling within Indonesia during PPKM
These restrictions apply to flights between airports on the island of Java, flights from/or to airports on the island of Java, and flights from/or to airports on the island of Bali.
· B211A visitor visa-apply via Directorate General Website.
· The documents below are required and to be presented (digital copies available using PeduliLindungi App for Indonesian citizens) during check-in at airports:
· Vaccine certificate/card, minimum of first dose.
· Certificate or letter of negative RT-PCR results whose samples were taken within a maximum period of 2×24 hours before the departure.
· Indonesia Health Alert Card (e-HAC) for all passengers (Indonesians and non-Indonesians)
Indonesia Travel Restriction Details can be found here. |
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Economic
· Indonesia-Ukraine/Russia Trade: Bilateral trade between Ukraine and Indonesia was a modest $1.5 billion in 2021 and only slightly larger with Russia. The biggest item is wheat: Ukraine is Indonesia’s largest supplier, but Indonesia can replace it with product from Australia, Canada, US, and Argentina. |
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| · Coal Diversification: A large Indonesian coal miner has taken a step toward diversification, a move in keeping with Indonesia’s statements at COP26 to ban coal as an energy source. Publicly listed coal miner PT Indika Energy has sold its stake in publicly listed engineering services company PT Petrosea as the miner seeks to reduce its exposure to coal businesses. Indika Energy, one of the country’s coal giants, sold all of its 704.01 million shares, accounting for nearly 70 percent of the total shares, in Petrosea. |
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Politics
Postponing Elections: President Jokowi addressed the efforts to postpone elections over the weekend. He said: “Anyone may advocate the notion (wacana) of postponing the election and extending [the term of the president], be it a minister or a political party, because this is a democracy. There is freedom to hold opinions. However, when it comes to implementation, everyone must be compliant and subordinate to the Constitution”. (Translation of Kompas article by Reformasi Weekly). Some critics pointed out this was not a full fledged repudiation. Prominent scholar Azyumardi Azra, said Jokowi’s statement was “still too normative”. “The President did not explicitly say that he was against the postponement of the 2024 elections, an extension to his term or a revision of the Constitution,” Azyumardi said on Sunday. “Hence, we still need to watch out.” |
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Foreign/Security/Legal Affairs
24 Indonesians Stay in Ukraine: Former Indonesian Consul General Ghafur Daraputra is currently Ambassador to Ukraine. AICC is in contact with him and his wife Endah. There are 24 Indonesian citizens who chose to stay in Ukraine for family reasons,” Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi said during an online press conference on Tuesday, March 1, 2022. Ghafur is with many of them.
UN Vote: Indonesia joined 141 countries to deplore Russia’s “aggression against Ukraine.” during last Wednesday’s emergency session.
Nuclear Sub Base: Australia will build a new submarine base on its east coast to support a future nuclear submarine fleet being acquired under a security partnership with the United States and Britain, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Monday. “Establishing a second submarine base on our east coast will enhance our strategic deterrent capability with significant advantages in operational, training, personnel and industrial terms,” Morrison said in a speech to Australian think tank the Lowy Institute. |
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Wayne Forrest
President
Editorial Assistance: Sahril Kasim |
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