Indonesia Highlights: Indonesia-Tesla Ties: Discussion Still Ongoing | Indonesia Increases Spending on Handling Health Sector by 300 Percent | Violence Against Women, Children Surges during Pandemic i

KOMPAS.com – Indonesia and US automaker Tesla is still in discussion for future investment opportunities.

Though until now none of the Tesla representatives has come to Indonesia due to the Covid-19 travel restrictions, Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said that the discussions are still ongoing.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian government spending on handling health aspects during the Covid-19 pandemic has increased by 300 percent.

Below are the editors’ picks stories published on Kompas.com:

Indonesia-Tesla Ties: Discussion Still Ongoing

Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said on Wednesday that US automaker Tesla is still interested in exploring investment opportunities on the Indonesian market.

“We’re not a bad country. A few nights ago, Tesla was still chasing us. The discussions are still ongoing,” Kontan quoted Luhut as saying on March 10.

Luhut said the government will not beg Tesla to build its manufacturing plant in Indonesia because Tesla needs Indonesia.

“That is why I think why we shouldn’t be begging. Hey, you need us and we also need them. We have to be in an equal position,” Luhut said.

His office has been establishing contacts with Tesla. But no elaborate on the investment plan.

Source: https://money.kompas.com/read/2021/03/10/155221726/luhut-ogah-mengemis-investasi-ke-tesla-hey-you-need-us.

Indonesia Increases Spending on Handling Health Sector by 300 Percent

ANTARA FOTO/HAFIDZ MUBARAK A Coordinating Economic Affairs Minister Airlangga Hartarto.

The Indonesian government spending on handling health aspects during the Covid-19 pandemic has increased by 300 percent, or 176.40 trillion rupiahs ($12.22 billion) in 2021 from the previous year, a senior minister said on Tuesday.

Coordinating Economic Affairs Minister Airlangga Hartarto, who is also the chairman of Indonesia’s Covid-19 committee, said that the fund will be allocated for the 3T procedures (testing, tracing, treatment) and a mass inoculation program.

“This year’s allocation for the health sector has increased by 300 percent compare to the previous year,” said Airlangga during a virtual talk show organized by the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) on March 9.

“This allocation will also cover the 3T procedures and vaccination program,” he said. In total, he added, this year’s Covid-19 Mitigation and National Economic Recovery (KPC-PEN) budget reach nearly 700 trillion rupiahs ($48.53 billion).

“We increase this year’s budget to almost 700 trillion rupiahs as the budget realization last year stood at 579 trillion rupiahs [$40.16 billion],” he said.

“The government will continue to provide its assistance in five areas comprising social protection, health, small-medium enterprises, and priority programs as well as incentives for the business sector,” he said.

Source: https://go.kompas.com/read/2021/03/10/162541574/indonesia-increases-spending-on-handling-health-sector-by-300-percent.

Violence Against Women, Children Surges during Pandemic in Indonesia: Ministry

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Cases of violence against women and children during the Covid-19 pandemic have increased significantly in Indonesia, an official said on Wednesday, March 10.

Secretary of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry, Pribudiarta Nur Sitepu, said that the cases were submitted to the ministry’s online system namely Simponi.

“There has been a significant increase in cases of violence against women and children during the pandemic,” said Pribudiarta during the 2021’s national disaster management coordination meeting.

Before the pandemic from January 1 to February 28 last year, he said, the ministry recorded 1,913 cases of violence against women. But, during the pandemic from February 29-December 31, the reports to the ministry’s online system have increased fivefold or more than 5,500 cases.

Meanwhile, the number of child abuse before and during the pandemic reached 2,851 cases and 7,190 cases, respectively.

The cause of violence against children included the difficulty in finding safe places such as school and the increase in stress levels among children due to fake news in the media.

“The risk of being subjected to online exploitation has increased because the amount of time they spend online is longer than usual,” he added.

The causes of violence against women, among others, access to economic uncertainty, job loss, overcrowded living conditions, and household burdens, he said.

Source: https://go.kompas.com/read/2021/03/10/193828074/violence-against-women-children-surges-during-pandemic-in-indonesia-ministry.