$450 Million ADB Loan to Help Indonesia on Covid-19 Vaccines
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $450 million loan to Indonesia to help Indonesia procure and deliver safe and effective vaccines against Covid-19.
The Responsive Covid-19 Vaccines for Recovery (RECOVER) project will fund the purchase of at least 65 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccines through Bio Farma, a state-owned vaccine supplier, for priority groups. The project is supported by ADB’s $9 billion Asia Pacific Vaccine Access Facility (APVAX), which was launched in December 2020 to offer vaccine-related support to ADB recipients.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on Indonesians. The RECOVER project will help the government protect lives and restore livelihoods,” said ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa. “It will help immunize millions of socially and economically vulnerable people at high risk of transmission, as well as public service officers providing critical services. ADB will also help the government and Bio Farma improve logistics management and deliver vaccines more effectively.”
The Indonesian government aims to vaccinate 181.5 million people against Covid-19 in one of the world’s most ambitious vaccination campaigns. Indonesia recorded more than 1.5 million cases and 40,000 deaths as of March 30. The vaccination campaign is still in its early stages.
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In-Class Learning Trial for Jakarta
The Jakarta government will pilot in-class learning on a limited scale from April 7-29. The pilot project will involve 100 schools that have passed assessments from the Jakarta government. In-class learning will only be done once per week, prioritizing essential subjects with a teaching duration of three to four hours. Attendance is limited to 50 percent of student capacity for each classroom. A 1.5 m distance between each student will be maintained. Extracurricular activities are prohibited during the pilot period. The government has also provided training on blended learning for teachers involved in the pilot.
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Kemlu Vaccination Survey for Foreign Missions
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kemlu) has released a survey on the Covid-19 vaccination program for officials in foreign missions and international organizations, as well as their family members. Officials eligible for this survey are those working in embassies, regional organizations, representative offices of United Nations agencies, and select international organizations.
The survey is accessible at https://survey.kemlu.go.id/index.php/321347
GeNose Takes Off in Airports
The Ministry of Transportation has authorized the use of GeNose testing devices in airports in line with Covid-19 Task Force Circular Letter 12/ 2021, which permits the use of GeNose as an alternative to PCR and rapid antigen tests. GeNose, which was developed in Indonesia, will be used starting today, April 1, beginning with four airports:
- Juanda International Airport, Surabaya
- Yogyakarta International Airport
- Husein Sastranegara Airport, Bandung
- Sultan Mahmud Baharuddin II Airport, Palembang.
GeNose screening involves three steps. First, downloading the Airport Health Center app, registering, booking, and completing payment. Next, enter the testing area for breath samples to be taken and analyzed. Then the test results will be visible in the application. Each GeNose test costs Rp 40,000.
Related links:
- https://www.cnnindonesia.com/ekonomi/20210401083257-92-624757/harga-tes-genose-di-bandara-dipatok-rp40-ribu
- https://www.cnbcindonesia.com/news/20210401074533-4-234549/yang-mau-terbang-catat-ya-hari-ini-genose-dipakai-di-bandara
The Future of Waste Management
AmCham began April by hosting a virtual discussion with Ujang Solihin Sidik (Uso), the Head of the Sub-Directorate of Goods and Packaging at the Ministry of Environment and Forestry. The purpose was to discuss Ministry of Environment and Forestry Regulation (PerMenLHK) 75/2019 on the Roadmap to Waste Reduction by Producers.
Uso said a shocking 72 percent of the Indonesian public are unaware of waste problems. With the growing amount of waste in Indonesia, he said the PerMenLHK 75/2019 platform introduces Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) in managing the problem.
He also addressed company concerns over meeting the standards set in the regulation. He said companies have different capacities in complying with the requirements and the ministry provides flexibility for companies in meeting the 10-year goal of 30 percent waste reduction, including the ability to partner with the waste management sector. Companies should take actions that are feasible and the ministry is willing to help. He also invited companies to help change public behavior by using environmentally friendly packaging and selling products through refills or bulk sales.
AmCham Cares: Merck, Sharp & Dohme, Part 2
Merck, Sharp & Dohme (MSD) Indonesia has released additional details of its partnership with Mercy Corps Indonesia (MCI) to assist micro and small entrepreneurs to cope with Covid-19.
Nicknamed the Summer Act, the program has four key initiatives, the latest are:
- Partnering with Bank Mandiri and Bank Syariah Indonesia to provide both sharia and conventional financing to accommodate the needs of participants. The program aims to facilitate financial inclusion and access to working capital for 525 MSEs by the end of March.
- Distributed 2,027 hand-washing stations and facilitated access to hygiene supplies for 426 MSEs.
The Summer Act program will run for 12 months to help MSEs recover and be equipped with the digital and financial tools needed to cope with the pandemic.
Only Five Red-Zone Districts Left: Task Force
The Covid-19 Task Force claims that as of March 28, the number of red zones (areas with high virus transmission risk) had fallen to only five regencies or cities in three provinces: Buleleng, Tabanan, and Denpasar in Bali; Palangkaraya in Central Kalimantan; and Kupang in East Nusa Tenggara. Orange zones (areas with medium transmission risks) have also fallen from 313 to 301. The number of yellow zones (areas with low transmission risks) has increased from 183 to 201. Six regencies are categorized as green zones for having zero Covid-19 cases: West Nias, North Nias, and South Nias in Northern Sumatra; and cities in Papua, Maluku, and Northern Maluku.
It is unclear what accounts for the decline since vaccination rates remain low in Indonesia.
The Task Force also recorded an additional 5,937 cases and 104 deaths in its daily record on March 31. Indonesia now has 1,511,712 cases in total, with 1,348,330 having recovered, 122,524 are currently being treated in hospitals and in self-isolation, and 40,858 have died.
Related link:
Shipping Problems Delay Third Phase of Vaccination
Vaccination spokesperson Siti Nadia Tarmizi said vaccine embargos have delayed arrivals of new shipments to Indonesia. As a consequence, the third phase of vaccination, which is intended for those with geospatial, social, or economic vulnerabilities, will be delayed from April to June or July at the earliest. Daily vaccination rates in April will also see declines due to a shortage of doses after 2.5 million doses from AstraZeneca failed to arrive in March. Nadia said the Ministry of Health is still negotiating with vaccine producers to resolve the delay in vaccine arrivals.
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Support Independent Journalism: Subscribe to The Jakarta Post
In these difficult times, our hometown English language newspaper, The Jakarta Post, is more important than ever. Given the difficulties of physical circulation and the economic slump, the Post needs to boost its online subscribers – a goal we heartily support at AmCham Indonesia. Quality English language news is vital for our businesses, our home offices, and the flow of information out of Indonesia. It is for this reason, that we are urging all of our members and readers to subscribe to JP! Information is what will help get us through this crisis. Below is information about how to sign up.
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Now is the Time to Join AmCham!
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We offer a full slate of meetings, events, and information for our community online. But we can only do this through the support of our members. If you are not yet an AmCham member, please join now.
AmCham Indonesia is open to all companies with an interest in US business relations and we have many non-American members. We are a community and we welcome you!
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AmCham Office and Events
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The AmCham Office is on work from home status and all face-to-face meetings and events have been postponed. We are having a number of meetings online using the Zoom platform. You will be notified of virtual meetings as they are scheduled.
What is Your Company Doing on COVID-19?
Please let us know what measures your company may be taking in the form of donations and other assistance to help Indonesia during this time of confusion and concern. Contact [email protected] with your news. We would like to publicize the ways that our AmCham companies are pitching in.
Stay well
We urge you to send us press releases and other information that we can pass on to the broader AmCham community. If you have items of interest, please email material to [email protected]. Follow this link to information provided by the US Embassy
Stay safe, call a doctor if you have a high fever, cough, or difficulty breathing. Stay healthy above all else.
AmCham Update is AmCham's regular newsletter on developments related to the pandemic crisis and other issues in Indonesia. It is edited by AmCham Managing Director A Lin Neumann and written by the AmCham Staff. Paul L Goddard is the Managing Editor
