The Lede: Jakarta shuts it down
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After weeks of confusion between various government policies, the Jakarta government has been permitted to enact tighter provisions. While public health experts will welcome the news, it does raise economic and financial questions for the city and those who call it home.
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Stay safe out there and look out for each other,
Erin Cook
Health Minister Terawan Agus Putranto has issued an order allowing the Jakarta government to bring in tighter movement restrictions, the Ministry announced Tuesday. The move comes after heightening tensions between the central government and Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan as the capital faces increasing cases.
The Large-Scale Social Restrictions (PSBB) are expected to be rolled out over the coming days. The policy will see stricter enforcement of existing social distancing rules, but will also see non-essential businesses forcibly closed. For the city’s busy app-based motorcycle taxis, drivers will no longer be able to ferry passengers across Jakarta and instead will focus only on food and package deliveries.
The policy presents an issue for both the city and the central government. While tougher precautions are needed to prevent the worst-case scenario of the pandemic, for millions of everyday people struggling to make ends meet poverty is a far more pressing issue. Already, organizations of online ojek groups have called for compensation from the government. One organization leader says that drivers make around 70 percent of their daily income from driving passengers.
Other cities in West Java have applied for PSBB exemptions as the national intelligence agency warns the central government next month will be disastrous. Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati cited projections from the agency, the University of Indonesia and the Bandung Institute of Technology which expected cases to reach up to 95,000 across the country in May.
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Jakarta's low-wage workers hard hit by layoffs, forced unpaid leave (Channel News Asia)
Mdm Tanti Julianti, a janitor working at a Central Jakarta office building, said she had been forced to settle for a considerable pay cut.
“The building management said because people have been working from home, our service is only needed twice a week to mop the floors and vacuum the carpets. Because we are doing less work, the management said they can only pay us half of what we are supposed to get,” she said.
“Of course we don’t like it. But what else can we do? It’s better than no pay at all".