Indonesia Highlights: Jokowi Installs Two Ministers, National Research Chief | Indonesia Temporarily Bans Flights from India: Tourism Minister | Indonesian Police Bust Medical Workers Reusing Old Rapi

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – President Joko Widodo has tinkered with his cabinet once again, as he merged two ministries in an effort to streamline the cabinet.

Indonesia is the latest nation to ban flights from India, as the country’s uncontrolled Covid-19 outbreak rendered the it off limits.

And Indonesian state-owned pharmaceutical company Kimia Farma’s credibility took a hit, after the police arrested a number of employees from one of its subsidiaries in North Sumatra for reusing old rapid tests kits. This and more on Indonesia Highlights:

YouTube/Sekretariat Presiden Indonesia's President Joko Widodo has appointed Bahlil Lahadalia as the new minister of Investment and Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) head in a ceremony held at the State Palace on Wednesday, April 28, 2021. Bahlil previously served as BKPM head before the two institutions have previously also been merged.

Jokowi Installs Two Ministers, National Research Chief

Indonesia’s President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo inaugurated two ministers and head of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) at the State Palace in the capital Jakarta on Wednesday, April 28.

Nadiem Makarim, who previously served as minister of Education and Culture, has been appointed as the new minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology following the merger of the two ministries.

It was reported that the previous minister of Research and Technology/BRIN head, Bambang Brodjonegoro, had resigned from his post.

Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) head Bahlil Lahadalia has been named as the new minister of Investment and BKPM head after the two institutions have previously also been merged.

Meanwhile, Jokowi also appointed Laksana Tri Handoko as the National Research and Innovation Agency head. Previously, Laksana served as the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) head.

The appointment was based on the presidential decree No. 72/2021 on the formation and remuneration and replacement of several state ministers in President Jokowi's cabinet for the 2019-2024 term.

Source:

https://go.kompas.com/read/2021/04/28/165626174/jokowi-installs-two-ministers-national-research-chief. 

KOMPAS.com / KRISTIANTO PURNOMO Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Sandiaga Uno during an interview with the editor in chief of Kompas.com, Wisnu Nugroho at M Bloc Market, Thursday (15/4/2021).

Indonesia Temporarily Bans Flights from India: Tourism Minister

The Indonesian government has banned flights from India, following a severe spike in Covid-19 cases which left nearly 200,000 dead in the South Asian country.

Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno said the step is part of efforts to prevent an outbreak on a similar case from occurring in Indonesia.

"We know that the Covid-19 situation in India is worrying, therefore the government has taken a firm step to close our borders to foreigners from India," Sandiaga said on Tuesday, April 24.

The decision was made a month after both countries discussed launching direct flights between Bali and India following a plan to reopen Bali's tourist attractions in the second semester of 2021.

Sandiaga said India's Covid crisis occurred when the government permitted religious festivals such as the Ganges River festival and other crowd pulling events. These traditions increased coronavirus transmissions. The situation was worsened by the country’s substandard health facilities.

The former Vice-Presidential hopeful added that the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy Mwill work closely with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Health.

"We will continue to monitor the situation in India, including the progress of the travel corridor arrangement with India," he said.

Source:

https://go.kompas.com/read/2021/04/28/151942674/indonesia-temporarily-bans-flights-from-india-tourism-minister?page=all#page2. 

ANTARA/HO Undercover police in North Sumatra raid the offices of health workers from the state-owned Kimia Farma Diagnostics company at the province's Kualanamu International Airport on Tuesday (27/04/2021). The medical personnel were arrested for reusing used antigen rapid test kits

Indonesian Police Bust Medical Workers Reusing Old Rapid Test Kits

Police in Indonesia’s North Sumatra Province has busted a ring of health workers from a subsidiary of state-owned Kimia Farma pharmaceutical company, after they reused old rapid test kits on travelers at the Kualanamu International Airport.

North Sumatra Regional Police spokesman Police Grand Commissioner Hadi Wahyudi said the police arrested six medical workers in the undercover sting.

“We carried out the operation after [the Regional Police’s] Special Crimes Directorate received a tip from [travelers] who reported that the test kits they were using has already been used. The Directorate then sent Police Commissioner Attendant [AKP] Jericho Levian to investigate. ”

AKP Jericho and his men posed as airline passengers at the airport and allowed the medical workers from Kimia Farma to carry out the antigen rapid tests.

“The investigators’ suspicions increased after the tests indicated them to be positive for Covid-19. Sceptical of the results, the policemen examined the antigen rapid test labs, then interrogated the Kimia Farma Diagnostic personnel,” he asserted.

“The health workers admitted to the police that they used old rapid test samples on the passengers. Their modus operandi included washing the used rapid test kits and replacing them. Kimia Farma Diagnostics’s parent company, Kimia Farma, has come clean about their employees’ actions.

The medical workers’ actions have discredited [Kimia Farma] and violated our standard operating procedures [SOP],” said Kimia Farma President-Director Adil Fadhilah Bulgini in a written statement to Kompas.com on Wednesday.

Kimia Farma’s admission is not enough for legislator Martin Manurung of the National Democratic [Nasdem] Party.

“The Ministry of State Owned Enterprises must supervise Kimia Farma’s internal corporate shakeup and findings,” said Martin. He warned that the circulation of used antigen rapid test kits could create public distrust of state-owned companies like Kimia Farma.

Source:

https://go.kompas.com/read/2021/04/29/021323474/indonesian-police-bust-medical-workers-reusing-old-rapid-test-kits?page=all#page2.