Indonesia Highlights: Indonesia, US Exim Bank Ink $750M MoU on Infrastructure, Trade | Local Tourists Are Coming Back to Bali | Tangerang City Extends Partial Lockdown to Dec. 19

KOMPAS.com – Indonesia and the US have taken their relations to another level after both parties signed a memorandum of understanding on infrastructure and trade amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

The newly signed agreement worth $750 million is a renewal of the previous agreement that was worth half a billion dollars.

Another positive story amid the pandemic came from the Indonesian resort island of Bali. Local tourists are starting to visit Bali again following the government's decision to ease partial lockdown in several regions a few months ago.

Below are excerpts from the stories in Indonesia, curated by Kompas.com editors:

1. Indonesia, US Exim Bank Ink $750 Million MoU on Infrastructure Development, Trade

Dok. KBRI Washington, D.C (Left to Right) Indonesian Ambassador to the US Muhammad Lutfi, Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, US Exim Bank President Kimberly A. Reed pose for a picture after the MoU signing in Washington DC on Wednesday, November 18, 2020.

Indonesia and the US signed a $750 million memorandum of understanding (MoU) to deepen cooperation on infrastructure development and trade in Washington DC on Wednesday, November 18.

Signing on behalf of the Indonesian government was the country’s envoy to the US Muhammad Lutfi, while the US was represented by Export-Import Bank (Exim) president and chairman Kimberly A. Reed. Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan stood as a witness for the signing ceremony.

“This MoU will further strengthen the Indonesia-US economic partnership to expand the cooperation in the field of investment and providing goods and services,” Lutfi said in a statement on Thursday, November 19.

The MoU also reaffirmed the commitment of the two nations to strengthen economic cooperation, particularly in the field of infrastructure financing, investment, and trade. The newly signed agreement worth $750 million is a renewal of the previous agreement that was worth half a billion dollars, the statement added.

Source: https://go.kompas.com/read/2020/11/19/185420274/indonesia-us-exim-bank-ink-750-million-mou-on-infrastructure-development-trade.

2. Local Tourists Are Coming Back to Bali

Kompas.com/Sastri Balis tourism slowly comes back amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Bali’s tourism slowly comes back after the tourism industry has been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The number of local tourists visiting the Indonesian resort of Bali has been increasing since the long weekend in October.

“The average local tourist arrivals [at the end of October] reached 5,000 people per day. Some days reached 4,800 people and up to 6,000 people per day,” Bali Tourism Agency chief Putu Astawa told Kompas.com on Thursday, November 19.

The number of local tourists visiting Bali in October and November is starting to improve when compared to the previous months as many regional governments began to ease mobility restrictions.

From July to early October, the number of local tourist arrivals reached only 3,000-3,500 people per day.

Meanwhile, in November the number of local tourist arrivals via I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport reached 5,000 people. For example, he said, the number of arrivals on November 1 stood at 5,652 people.

Source: https://travel.kompas.com/read/2020/11/19/201000027/kunjungan-ke-bali-meningkat-rata-rata-5.000-wisatawan-per-hari.

3. Tangerang City Extends Partial Lockdown to Dec. 19

Dok Satlantas Polrestabes Makassar A file photo of a traffic police distributing mask to a motorist dated November 2, 2020.

Indonesia’s Tangerang City near Jakarta has decided to extend partial lockdown for a month starting from November 20 as the city’s Covid-19 caseload continues to climb.

“The decision follows the gubernatorial decree on the extension of large-scale social restrictions [partial lockdown],” Tangerang City Government Spokesperson Buceu Gartina told Kompas.com on Thursday, November 19.

“It will be extended for one month from November 20 to December 19 and could be extended again if the spread of Covid-19 continues,” the decree stated.

The Tangerang City Health Agency reported 26 new cases of Covid-19 on Wednesday, November 18, bringing the total to 2,544.

Source: https://megapolitan.kompas.com/read/2020/11/19/18473501/penerapan-psbb-di-kota-tangerang-diperpanjang-hingga-19-desember.