Indonesia’s Q2 GDP reaches 5,44% 

  Indonesia’s economy grew over 5% in the second quarter of 2022 from a year earlier (year on
  year or yoy). Indonesia’s Statistic Agency (BPS) recorded a 5.44% GDP growth (yoy) in the
  April to June 2022 period. 

  BPS Chief Margo Yuwono said Indonesia’s nominal GDP based on current prices was
  Rp 4,919.9 trillion (roughly US$330 million), or Rp 2,937.7 trillion based on constant prices. 

  “The growth in the second quarter shows that Indonesia’s economy is rising persistently, even
  when compared to the second quarter of 2021,” Margo said during the announcement on
  Friday, August 5, 2022. 

  Indonesia’s economy fell into a recession in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The second
  quarter of 2021 was a turning point, during which the country’s GDP grew by 7.07%. 

  Afterwards, Indonesia’s economy maintained its positive trajectory. GDP grew 3.51% yoy
  during the third quarter of 2021, and then 5.02% yoy in the fourth quarter of 2021. In the first
  quarter of 2022, Indonesia’s GDP grew 5.01% yoy. 

  Margo expressed his hope that Indonesia’s economy would continue to recover, as shown by
  the series of GDP growth, saying that Indonesia must be able to maintain its economic growth
  momentum in the coming years. 

  The economic growth in the second quarter of 2022 was in line with projections from Indonesia’s
  Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani and the Coordinating Minister of Economy Airlangga Hartarto
  who, in separate interviews, expressed optimism that the country would see growth above
  5% in the second quarter. 

  The forecast was also echoed by Bank Indonesia Governor Perry Warjiyo, who said that
  Indonesia’s GDP would grow above 5.05% yoy in Q2 of 2022. 

  Source: Kontan 

  PayPal registers to Indonesia's licensing rules, access unblocked 

  US payments firm PayPal has registered as an electronic systems operator in Indonesia and
  its customers can now access its services, the company said on Wednesday (Aug 3). 

  PayPal was one of several websites that Indonesia blocked at the weekend because of their
  failure to comply with new licensing rules. 

  Companies were given a July deadline to register under new rules that would allow authorities
  to compel platforms to disclose data of certain users and take down content deemed unlawful
  or that "disturbs public order" within four hours if urgent, and 24 hours if not. 

  Johnny G. Plate, Indonesia's communications minister, on Wednesday urged people to avoid
  using unregistered services "to minimize a loss that may incur, if ... illegal acts occur in those
  private services". 

  The Communications Ministry said it also unblocked access to services of the search engine
  Yahoo and video-game company Valve Corporation, including Steam and Dota 2, on Tuesday
  after it said it had blocked them on Saturday. 

  The new licensing rules have courted controversy as activists and the public fear that the
  government may police social media content. 

  Though the licensing rules were first introduced in 2020, companies like Meta Platforms Inc and
  its units - which include Instagram and WhatsApp - as well as Alphabet Inc's Google registered
  just hours or days before the deadline in late July. Spotify, Netflix and ByteDance's TikTok
  have also signed up. 

  With a young, tech-savvy population of 270 million, Indonesia is a top-10 market in terms of user
  numbers for a host of social media companies. 

  Source: CNA 

  Indonesian tourism workers strike over Komodo park price hike 

  Tourism businesses in Indonesia's Komodo National Park began a month-long strike on Monday
  after the government imposed a huge price hike. 

  Jakarta's 18-fold rise for entry to the park's most popular islands seeks to limit the number of
  visitors to protect endangered Komodo dragons – the world's largest lizards – from overexposure
  to humans and environmental damage. 

  The move, which came into force Monday, raised admission fees to Komodo and Padar islands
  at the World Heritage-listed site in East Nusa Tenggara province from 200,000 rupiah ($13) to
  3.75 million rupiah ($252). 

 But it sparked uproar among locals who rely on tourism, and industry-related businesses in the
  national park – still reeling from the Covid-19 pandemic – were closed on Monday in protest. 

  "We have no other option, we have conveyed all our rational opinions and arguments but the
  government didn't listen," said Servianus Setiawan, a tour operator in Labuan Bajo, the town
  that serves as the entrance to the park. 

  "We support Komodo conservation but please come up with a sensible number so we can
  protect Komodo dragons and so people whose livelihood depends on tourism can live." 

  East Nusa Tenggara Governor Viktor Laiskodat said the new price would be imposed despite
  the protest. 

  "We admit that we missed disseminating the information (about the price increase) properly. We
  will inform the people better while monitoring and evaluating the situation," he told reporters
  Monday. 

  At least 700 workers will take part in the strike until the end of August, Servianus said. 

  Tour organizer Samin told AFP those refusing to join the strike had been threatened with "social
  sanctions". 

  One tourism association threatened to burn down businesses that remained open. 

  Locals said the drastic price hike would deter tourists with a limited budget from visiting the
  national park, which was almost deserted at the peak of the pandemic. 

  "We are slowly recovering, if people cancel their reservations, we will fall apart again," Matheus
  Siagian, a hotel and restaurant owner told AFP. 

  "Please let us heal first." 

  Komodo dragons are found only in the national park and neighboring Flores island, and just
  3,458 adult and baby Komodo dragons are left in the wild, according to the International Union
  for the Conservation of Nature. 

  Source: AFP