Indonesia Highlights: Covid-19: Indonesia Bans Parade on Idul Fitri Eve to Avoid Crowds | Indonesia Trade Surplus Maintained as MSME Exports Continue to Grow | Indonesia Extends Micro-scale Covid-19 R

KOMPAS.com – Indonesia’s Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas said that convoys around the city on the eve of Idul Fitri to mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan are prohibited. The parades could pull a crowd and potentially be the source of coronavirus transmission.

Indonesia’s trade balance that has been in a surplus since last year is fueled by the growth of export-oriented micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

Meanwhile, the government has decided to extend the micro-scale Enforced Restriction of Community Activities (PPKM) by another 14 days until May 3 and expand the restrictions to five other provinces.

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

Covid-19: Indonesia Bans Parade on Idul Fitri Eve to Avoid Crowds

Indonesia’s Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas said that convoys around the city on the eve of Idul Fitri to mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan are prohibited.

“We impose restrictions on takbir activity [praising Allah by chanting and pounding on the drums at the end of the fasting month], whereby public parades are prohibited,” said Yaqut after a limited cabinet minister meeting at the Merdeka Palace on Monday, April 19.

Yaqut said that the convoys around the city could pull a crowd and potentially be the source of coronavirus transmission.

However, he said, the government will allow the congregations to hold the takbir events in mosques or prayer halls as long as they follow the health protocols.

"The gatherings are limited to 50 percent capacity of the mosque or prayer hall," he said.

Source: https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2021/04/19/17534371/pemerintah-larang-takbir-keliling-karena-picu-kerumunan.

Indonesia Trade Surplus Maintained as MSME Exports Continue to Grow

SHUTTERSTOCK An image of containers at a port.

Indonesia’s trade balance that has been in a surplus since last year is fueled by the growth of export-oriented micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), a senior minister said on Monday, April 19.

“This performance has been achieved following the government’s efforts to increase the country’s exports while at the same time promoting new exporters from the middle, small, and micro-businesses," said Coordinating Economic Affairs Minister Airlangga Hartarto during a virtual event titled "500,000 of New MSMEs Conference."

Last year Indonesia recorded a surplus of $21.74 billion, the highest trade surplus since 2017. This achievement continues this year with a surplus of $5.52 billion in the first quarter.

Airlangga said that the increase in MSMEs export was in line with the government's strategy. This includes maintaining the main markets and products in the 10 main destination countries at 70 percent of the total exports in 2020. It also maintains the 10 main products exported to the main destination countries which account for 60 percent of the total exports in 2020.

Source: https://money.kompas.com/read/2021/04/19/183004026/neraca-perdagangan-surplus-karena-umkm-ekspor-terus-tumbuh.

Indonesia Extends Micro-scale Covid-19 Restrictions to May 3

DOK. Humas Partai Golkar Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto.

Indonesia has decided to extend the micro-scale Enforced Restriction of Community Activities (PPKM) by another 14 days until May 3 and expand the restrictions to five other provinces, bringing the total number of provinces to 25.

The five additional provinces comprise West Sumatera, Jambi, Bangka Belitung Islands, Lampung and West Kalimantan.

“The expansion [of the PPKM] is based on the number of active cases in those five provinces,” said Coordinating Economic Affairs Minister Airlangga Hartarto, who is also the National Economic Recovery and Covid-19 Response Team chairman after a limited cabinet minister meeting at the Merdeka Palace on Monday, April 19.

Here below are the 20 other provinces:
1. Jakarta
2. Banten
3. West Java
4. Central Java
5. Yogyakarta
6. East Java
7. Bali
8. East Kalimantan
9. South Sulawesi
10. North Sumatera
11. South Kalimantan
12. Central Kalimantan
13. North Sulawesi Utara
14. East Nusa Tenggara
15. West Nusa Tenggara
16. North Kalimantan
17. Aceh
18. South Sumatera
19. Riau
20. Papua

The government hopes that the extension and expansion of the PPKM can further reduce the rate of transmission of Covid-19.

Airlangga said the active cases of Covid-19 in Indonesia as of April 18 stood at 6.6 percent or down from 16 percent in February.

Source: https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2021/04/19/17101441/ppkm-berskala-mikro-diperluas-hingga-25-provinsi-ini-rinciannya.