Hello reader,

Welcome to another free edition of Nusantara Notes!

I must say, it feels nice to take a quick breather from all the political drama from the past week or so. Sure, there are still major developments regarding the regional elections, and we’ll continue to keep a close eye on them as they play out.

There’s no time for complacency when it comes to public health, though. Our focus today is on new directives to prevent the spread of mpox in Indonesia, as the disease becomes the latest cause for concern worldwide.

Stay safe, and stay healthy!

Cheers,

Andra

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Law/Politics

• Anies wearing red meant nothing in the end, as the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) decided on nominating their own cadre, Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung, for the Jakarta gubernatorial race in November. Former Banten vice governor Rano “Si Doel” Karno has been selected as Pramono’s running mate, as they face a colossal challenge of going against former West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil.

• Gerindra’s Riza Patria pulled out of the race for South Tangerang mayor, with the party citing that he had been reassigned to an unspecified task. Comedian Marshel Widianto, who was supposed to be Riza’s running mate, consequently withdrew from the race as well, ending what would have been a controversial nomination.

• The Central Jakarta District partially approved a class action lawsuit filed by the victims of acute kidney failure from children’s cough syrup against two pharmaceutical companies. The company is now required to pay IDR 60 million in compensation per surviving victim, and IDR 50 million to the families of deceased victims. The figures are far below the plaintiffs’ demand of IDR 2 billion per surviving victim and IDR 3 billion per deceased victim.

• President Joko Widodo has once again pushed back his permanent move to Nusantara, this time over the lack of a functioning airport in the new capital city. The president was hoping to relocate in September, ahead of his departure from the office in October.

Business/Economy

• Expect disruptions to online ride-hailing and delivery services tomorrow, as thousands of motorcycle taxi (ojol) drivers and couriers from the Greater Jakarta area (Jabodetabek) are planning to stage a mass protest in Jakarta. The drivers are demanding the government provide legal protections for them from exploitation by service providers.

• Instead of September 1, the government is now planning to enforce restrictions on Pertalite and other subsidized fuels starting on October 1, citing the need for time to raise public awareness of the policy. The planned new regulations is expected to ensure subsidized fuels go only towards those who are actually eligible for them.

• Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita said his ministry is figuring out measures so a planned carbon tax, proposed by the Finance Ministry, will not negatively impact the industrial sector. Agus emphasized the need to carefully balance environmental goals with the potential economic burden on industries to avoid harming their competitiveness.

• Separately, Agus is advocating for hybrid vehicles to receive government incentives as well, though not as substantial as those given to fully electric vehicles. Agus warned that by shunning hybrids, Indonesia may lose out on the fiscal benefits from the technology, just like how the country drove semiconductor factories to relocate to Malaysia in the ‘80s.

• Starting September 16, Tokopedia is increasing service fees for sellers by up to 10%, citing the need to maintain and improve platform services. This is the second time the e-marketplace giant is hiking service fees this year. 

Everything Else

Keeping Mpox Away

With yet another global disease becoming a source of concern, surely the authorities in Indonesia are well-versed in preventing or handling a potential health emergency by now.

As they say, prevention is better than the cure. To that effect, President Joko Widodo has directed authorities to tighten international arrival protocols to prevent the spread of mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) in Indonesia. The government is focusing on enhancing health checks and monitoring at entry points, including airports and seaports, to detect any potential cases early.

Monitoring needs to be heightened in Bali’s Ngurah Rai Airport in particular, as the island is set to host the Indonesia Africa Forum (IAF) from September 1 to 3. After all, the first human case of mpox was recorded in 1970, in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo. The disease is also considered endemic in countries in central and west Africa.

Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno said that monitoring efforts will also be focused at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta Airport — the largest international gateway to Indonesia. What this entails are body temperature checks and the reinstatement of the e-HAC (electronic health arrival card) app, which must be downloaded and filled in by international passengers arriving in Indonesia.

What any of this won’t involve, for now, is any travel restrictions to and from Indonesia.

Since 2023, Indonesia has recorded 88 mpox cases in the country. Thankfully, none of them were reportedly fatal.

In Other News

• Indonesia’s Under-20 Men’s football team pulled off an incredible upset by beating Argentina’s Under-20 team (not the one that won the World Cup in 2022) 2-1 at the opening match of the Seoul Earth on Us Cup 2024 in South Korea. Indonesia’s young stars will take on Thailand in the second match of the youth tournament on August 30.