Finance Ministry appoints WeTransfer, OffGamers to collect digital tax

The Finance Ministry’s Directorate General of Taxes (DJP) appointed WeTransfer BV and OffGamers Global Pte Ltd as the collectors of value-added tax on trading through the electronic systems (PMSE) for digital products sold to consumers in Indonesia.

“Through the inclusion of these two companies, the number of collectors of value-added tax on PMSE appointed by DJP has reached 83 enterprises,” DJP’s Public’s Counseling, Services, and Relations, Neilmaldrin Noor, noted in a statement here on Monday.

Noor emphasized that through this appointment, these enterprises are now tasked with collecting value-added tax for digital products and services that they sell to customers in Indonesia as of September 1, 2021.

“DJP expressed gratitude over the proactive move and collaboration from several entities appointed as the collectors of value-added tax on PMSE,” Noor affirmed.

Noor noted that the DJP will continue to identify and communicate with several other companies that sell digital products from abroad to Indonesia.

“In addition, DJP is actively communicating to identify their readiness, so that in the near future, the number of enterprises, appointed as the collectors of PMSE’s value-added tax, will continue to increase,” Noor affirmed.

Until the end of August 2021, the realization of digital value-added tax revenue had reached Rp2.5 trillion.

Earlier, some 81 global companies were recorded to have collaborated with DJP since the start of July 2020 in order to collect digital value-added tax.

These international companies comprise the Amazon Web Service Inc, Google Asia Pacific Pte Ltd, Google Ireland Ltd, Google LLC, Netflix International BV, Spotify AB, Facebook Ireland Ltd, Facebook Payments International Ltd, Facebook Technologies International Ltd, Amazon.com Services LLC, and Audible Inc.

Source: Antara News

BPJAMSOSTEK seeks to increase MSME participation

The Workers Social Security Agency (BP JAMSOSTEK) is focusing on increasing participation from micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to reach its target of five million workers by 2021.

There is a potential of around 60 million people in the MSMEs sector who could be attracted to become active participants in the informal sector, said BPJAMSOSTEK supervisory board member Subhan Gatot here on Monday.

“Unfortunately, involving MSMEs as participants is not easy as they don’t understand social security. In the Labour Laws itself, they were not even covered,” he noted while greeting participants at the commemoration of National Customer Day at the BPJAMSOTEK Palembang branch office.

However, after the Job Creation Law was enacted, the MSME sector was included in the protected category of non-formal workers, he said.

The government is focusing on the MSME sector because various countries that are already better at implementing social security actually take advantage of this sector, he explained. Indonesia is considered far behind compared to Singapore and Malaysia in this regard, he said. Therefore, to attract the participation of MSME actors, BPJAMSOSTEK will carry out various strategies, including involving associations, he informed.

He cited the example of Palembang city, which is estimated to have thousands of SMEs engaged in the pempek culinary sector and songket manufacturing.

“I once communicated with songket sellers. Apparently, they didn’t know that there was a Work Accident Insurance and Death Benefit program whose installments were only IDR16 thousand per month,” Gatot said.

To increase awareness on social security among MSME actors, BPJAMSOSTEK has collaborated with Indonesian Entrepreneurs Association of South Sumatra, he added.

Meanwhile, head of the BPJAMSOSTEK Palembang branch office, Ikbar Saloma, said that out of the 6,909 active companies in the city, 5,800 were MSMEs.

“Indeed, the MSMEs sector has great potential, but we need a special strategy to involve them. What is certain is that we must actively cooperate with them,” he remarked.

Source: Antara News

Qualified human resources key to Labuan Bajo’s tourism growth: govt

Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan believes superior human resources are the key to developing the super-priority tourism destination (DPSP) Labuan Bajo, West Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara.

“Hence, the church’s role is also important to discipline the community, so that we can work,” the minister noted at the signing of a memorandum of understanding for the Development of DPSP Labuan Bajo between the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, the West Manggarai District Government, and the Ruteng Diocese here on Monday.

Pandjaitan stated that tourism development must start by improving the quality of human resources (HR).

The minister deems synergy among all parties as crucial to create superior and competent human resources. To this end, collaboration among the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, the West Manggarai District Government, and the Ruteng Diocese is important to transform Labuan Bajo into a superior tourism destination.

Minister Pandjaitan requested that Labuan Bajo be transformed into a qualified and sustainable destination, especially to welcome several international activities that will be held later. He has continued to urge the provincial and district governments to conduct various regional development innovations. The programs must be continuously monitored and work on them should be quick.

Pandjaitan is optimistic that Ruteng Diocese would take on the role of a strategic partner in communicating and strengthening the commitment to develop the country, especially in Labuan Bajo, including through communication to establish sustainable tourism in Labuan Bajo.

He urged the church to continue to deliver messages to always apply tight health protocols amid the pandemic. If the community is disciplined, then super-priority and sustainable tourism can be realized in Labuan Bajo.

Luhut also emphasized that the real commitment of various parties is the key to successful development. Hence, all parties must work hand-in-hand for the success the country’s development.

Source: Antara News

Expect MSME Digital Market to be one-stop solution: SOEs Ministry

Indonesia’s State-Owned Enterprises Ministry expects the MSME Digital Market (PaDI) to serve as a one-stop solution for micro, small, and medium enterprise actors in Indonesia.

“This is a form of MSME Digital Market continuous improvement. In the future, MSME Digital Market is expected to be a one-stop solution for MSMEs,” expert staff for finance and MSME development at the State-Owned Enterprises Ministry Loto Srinaita Ginting said at the opening of the PADI MSME Indonesia Virtual Expo Batch 2 in Jakarta on Monday.

The MSME Digital Market Virtual Expo 2021 Batch 2 is a virtual exhibition for showcasing a variety of products from seven MSMEs supporting partners, she informed. The event was attended by 98 state-owned enterprises and their subsidiaries, she said.

“We can also report that there are 295 MSMEs participating in the MSME Digital Market Virtual Expo 2021 Batch 2, an increase of 51 MSMEs compared to the previous event,” Ginting said.

More than five thousand buyers from 58 state-owned enterprises have expressed their readiness to visit MSME outlets, she informed. At last 40 other state-owned enterprises are preparing to implement the MSME Digital Market, as stipulated by State-Owned Enterprises Minister Thohir. Improvements have been made in the arrangement of the exhibition venue, which, this time, has been divided based on eight product categories so that it would be easier for visitors to see and compare existing products, she said.

The eight categories are infrastructure and building materials, writing and printing equipment, electronics, furniture and home decoration, agro and foods and beverages, creative products, rental and maintenance procurement, and services, Ginting informed.

At least 20 webinars would also be held at the event, which would be presented by state-owned enterprises, MSME supporting partners, as well as several other external parties such as the Directorate General of Taxes, Investment Ministry/Investment Coordinating Board, the Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs, as well as sources from online law, she said.

“Thus, it is expected that the implementation of the MSME virtual expo will bring more comprehensive benefits. Not only can it offer opportunities to increase transaction acquisition, but also help (participants) gain understanding, education about service and financing policies, especially those related to MSMEs,” she added.

Source: Antara News

Fifteen Surabaya’s schools commence limited classroom learning

On Monday, September 6, as many as 15 state and private schools in Surabaya, East Java Province, commenced limited face-to-face learning sessions.

“My children, who are currently undergoing limited face-to-face learning sessions, let us make the school as comfortable as possible,” Head of Commission D for Education at the Surabaya Regional House of Representatives Khusnul Khotimah told junior high school students engaged in the limited classroom learning sessions today.

According to the @Banggasurabaya instagram account, 15 junior high schools that conducted the limited face-to-face learning comprised State Junior High School 1, State Junior High School 2, State Junior High School 3, State Junior High School 10, State Junior High School 12, State Junior High School 15, State Junior High School 19, State Junior High School 26, State Junior High School 28, State Junior High School 46, State Junior High School 62, YBPK 1 Junior High School, 17 August Junior High School, GIKI 2 Junior High School, and Santa Maria Junior High School Surabaya.

Khotimah urged various parties, especially the school management, so that the limited face-to-face learning agenda can be applied properly, given the looming uncertainty. “Do not brush off anything. They are still children, so they must remain under supervision,” she emphasized.

Since this is the first day of school after nearly two years of online learning, necessary precautionary measures should be taken against traffic jams in the school environment, she affirmed. Parents, who have brought their children, should immediately leave rather than wait and watch them entering the school.

“Everyone must maintain order and ensure comfort for road users. Parents must have belief and leave everything to the educators and education staff. The implementation of this limited face-to-face learning has been through a lengthy process before being conducted,” she highlighted.

Khotimah advised students to have breakfast prior to leaving for school. Apart from that, they must bring other things, such as drinking bottles from home, wear masks, and hand sanitizers, and not be late.

“Do not create a crowd. Use hand sanitizer often and never take off your mask. Do not let your feelings of missing school and your friends make you abandon health protocols,” she remarked.

After school, all students should immediately go home and are not allowed to stop anywhere, including at a friend’s house.

“When you arrive at home, change your clothes and clean yourself by taking a shower immediately,” she urged.

Several conditions to be met for schools to organize limited face-to-face learning include teachers having received two doses of vaccine and students having received the approval of their guardian or parents.

Other requirements encompass ensuring submission of details pertaining to school readiness in the form of facilities, infrastructure, and administration to the Surabaya Education Office; clearing an assessment of the Surabaya COVID-19 Task Force; having conducted limited face-to-face learning simulation; and having obtained recommendations from the Surabaya Education Office.

The school already has in place a COVID-19 Task Force Student Team that was officiated by Surabaya Mayor Eri Cahyadi on September 3.

Head of the Surabaya Education Office Supomo remarked that members of the COVID-19 Task Force Student Team were selected School Health Unit cadre students, who had received training from experts to offer them knowledge and insights about the importance of maintaining health protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some 457 COVID Task Force Student Teams had been formed from various public and private elementary and junior high schools across Surabaya City, he stated. A total of 5,425 children were included in those 457 teams.

Source: Antara News

eHAC data leak still under investigation: police

The investigation into the alleged data leak through the Electronic Health Alert Card (eHAC) system is still on, although the Ministry of Health has said that no public data has been leaked, police has said.

“It is still ongoing, in the process of being investigated,” head of public relations for National Police, Inspector General Argo Yuwono told ANTARA on Monday.

Earlier, Yuwono had said that the National Police, through the Directorate of Cyber Crime, was helping investigate allegations of public data leak via the version of the Health Alert Card application developed by the Ministry of Health.

It has been a week since news broke of 1.3 million eHAC data leaks, but Yuwono did not disclose further details regarding the investigation. However, he confirmed that the investigation into whether the leak actually occurred was still ongoing.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health on September 1, 2021 asserted that public data in eHAC was not leaked and was protected.

Responding to a question on whether the police investigation will continue given that no criminal element has been reported in the incident, Yuwono said he would coordinate on this with the Ministry of Health.

“We will coordinate with each other, if we cannot find it, then that’s it,” he stated.

Head of the Indonesian Ministry of Health’s Data and Information Center, Anas Ma’ruf, had earlier stressed that data contained in the Electronic Health Alert Card (eHAC) system had not been leaked and was protected.

“Community data contained in eHAC does not flow to partner platforms. Meanwhile, community data on partner platforms is the responsibility of the electronic system operator, in accordance with the mandate of Law Number 19 of 2016 concerning electronic information or the ITE Law,” Ma’ruf said at an online press conference on September 1.

He said the Ministry of Health was grateful for the input from those who provided information about the vulnerability so that it could be followed up to avoid greater cybersecurity risks.

Information on the vulnerability found on the eHAC partner platform was reported by VPN Mentor, a site that focuses on Virtual Private Networks (VPN), and has been verified by the National Cyber and Crypto Agency (BSSN) and received by the Ministry of Health on August 23, 2021, he said.

The Ministry of Health then traced and found vulnerabilities in the eHAC partner platforms, he added. The respective platforms have taken action and made improvements to partner systems, he said.

As part of mitigating cyber security risks, the Ministry of Health has coordinated with the Ministry of Communication and Informatics, BSSN, and the Criminal Investigation Directorate of the National Police to investigate and ensure there are no other vulnerabilities from the application that can be used to exploit the system, he added.

Source: Antara News

House Commission agrees on Bill on Indonesia-Russia mutual legal aid

The House of Representatives (DPR) has agreed to bring a bill on the ratification of the agreement between Indonesia and Russia on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters to the DPR plenary meeting for its endorsement into law.

“Do you agree to bring the bill on the ratification of the Indonesia-Russia agreement on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters to the DPR plenary meeting?” Deputy Chairman of the House Commission III Adies Kadir stated at the working meeting of the House Commission III at the parliament building here on Monday.

Members of the House Commission III present at the meeting agreed to bring the bill to the plenary session. Representative of the House Commission III’s Working Committee for the Bill on Indonesia-Russia Mutual Legal Assistance, Dipo Nusantara, stated earlier that the working committee had completed deliberations on an inventory of matters that each faction delivered under prudential principles.

“At the end, the working committee concurred on the entire concept of the Bill on Indonesia-Russia Mutual Legal Assistance to be agreed upon at the meeting of the House Commission III,” he remarked.

Representatives of all factions at the DPR later conveyed their views on the bill and agreed to bring it to the DPR plenary meeting for its endorsement into law.

Source: Antara News

MLA Criminal Matters Bill to eradicate transnational crimes: Minister

Ratification of bill on Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) in Criminal Matters between Indonesia and Russia can eradicate transnational crimes, including corruption and money laundering, Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna H. Laoly stated.

“The ratification of this bill can hopefully strengthen efforts to prevent and eradicate criminal acts, especially those that are transnational in nature, between Indonesia and Russia, which aligns with Indonesia’s goal cited in the preamble to the 1945 Constitution,” Laoly stated during a meeting here on Monday.

The minister opined that through this legal assistance agreement between Indonesia and Russia, the law enforcement mechanism will improve with the presence of a more resilient law foundation.

“This bill is important in the international world in which technology has made it easier for the people to connect and to allow various crimes, such as cyber, terrorism, and money laundering, to occur,” he remarked.

According to Laoly, the government welcomes the completion of the bill and it will be taken to the House of Representatives’ (DPR’s) plenary meeting for the level II decision-making process.

Earlier, on Wednesday, the minister stressed that the MLA in the Criminal Matters Bill was deemed necessary in order to prevent transnational crimes that are on the rise along with interaction and cooperation among people.

Irresponsible individuals resort to this increasing interaction to commit crimes.

He noted that these criminals exploited the international system and legal loopholes that had a limited jurisdiction to catch the perpetrators.

The efforts to enforce the transnational law encountered a hurdle in the form of differences in the judicial system, so a regulation was deemed necessary to bridge that gap.

The House’ Commission III approved the ratification of the bill on Treaty on MLA in Criminal Matters between Indonesia and Russia after heeding to inputs of various factions.

Source: Antara News