JAKARTA: Indonesian leader Joko Widodo declared a state of emergency Tuesday as coronavirus deaths in the world’s fourth most populous country jumped again, but he resisted calls for a nationwide lockdown.
Widodo’s administration has been heavily criticized for not imposing lockdowns in major cities, including the capital Jakarta, a vast megalopolis home to about 30 million people where most of the country’s virus deaths have been reported.
Indonesia’s leader offered few details of the state of emergency beyond calling for stricter social distancing, but announced $1.5 billion in beefed-up social assistance and subsidies for low-income workers.
Tens of millions eke out a living on poorly-paid jobs in Southeast Asia’s biggest economy.
“To overcome the impact of COVID-19, we’ve chosen the option of large-scale social distancing,” Widodo told reporters.
“We must learn from the experience in other countries, but we cannot copy them because every country has its own characteristics,” he added.
On Tuesday, authorities said 136 people had died after contracting the virus, with 1,528 confirmed cases of infection.
But the latter figure is widely thought to be well below the real number in the archipelago of more than 260 million.
The Indonesian Doctors’ Association has warned that the coronavirus crisis is far worse than has been officially reported and that the government’s response is “in tatters.”
Jakarta’s governor has said nearly 300 suspected or confirmed victims of the virus have been wrapped in plastic and quickly buried in the city since the start of March.
The capital’s top politician has been pushing for a total lockdown of the city.
Also Tuesday, Indonesia’s corrections agency said it is set to offer early release to about 30,000 inmates to help stem the spread of the virus in over-crowded prisons. The number amounts to more than 10 percent of Indonesia’s 272,000 inmate population.
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Indonesia declares state of emergency as coronavirus toll jumps
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Indonesia declares state of emergency as coronavirus toll jumps
- Joko Widodo’s administration has been heavily criticized for not imposing lockdowns in major cities, including Jakarta
- Indonesia’s leader offered few details of the state of emergency beyond calling for stricter social distancing
US lifts 25 percent tariff on Indian goods linked to Russia oil purchases
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump moved Friday to lift an additional 25 percent tariff he imposed on goods from India over its purchases of Russian oil — a step to implement a trade deal announced this week.
“India has committed to stop directly or indirectly importing Russian Federation oil,” according to an executive order Trump signed.
New Delhi has also said that it will purchase US energy products, “and has recently committed to a framework with the United States to expand defense cooperation over the next 10 years,” the order said.
The additional 25 percent US duty will be removed at 12:01 am Eastern Time on Saturday.
The executive order comes days after Trump announced a trade deal to reduce tariffs on India, saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised to stop buying Russian oil over the war in Ukraine.
The pact would also see Washington cutting so-called “reciprocal” levies on Indian products to 18 percent, down from a 25-percent level.
The rollout of this reduction is still to come.
Other terms of the agreement include the removal of tariffs on certain aircraft and parts, according to a separate joint statement released Friday by the White House.
The statement added that India intends to purchase $500 billion of US energy products, aircraft and parts, precious metals, tech products and coking coal over the next five years.
The shift marks a significant reduction in US tariffs on Indian products, down from a rate of 50 percent late last year.
The deal eases months of tensions over India’s oil purchases, which Washington says fund a conflict it is trying to end.
It restores close ties between Trump and Modi, a fellow right-wing populist that the US leader has described as “one of my greatest friends.”
The 18 percent tariff level also gives Indian exporters a slight edge in the US market over competitors in the region who secured duties of around 19 percent to 20 percent, said Wendy Cutler, senior vice president at the Asia Society Policy Institute, this week.
“India has committed to stop directly or indirectly importing Russian Federation oil,” according to an executive order Trump signed.
New Delhi has also said that it will purchase US energy products, “and has recently committed to a framework with the United States to expand defense cooperation over the next 10 years,” the order said.
The additional 25 percent US duty will be removed at 12:01 am Eastern Time on Saturday.
The executive order comes days after Trump announced a trade deal to reduce tariffs on India, saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised to stop buying Russian oil over the war in Ukraine.
The pact would also see Washington cutting so-called “reciprocal” levies on Indian products to 18 percent, down from a 25-percent level.
The rollout of this reduction is still to come.
Other terms of the agreement include the removal of tariffs on certain aircraft and parts, according to a separate joint statement released Friday by the White House.
The statement added that India intends to purchase $500 billion of US energy products, aircraft and parts, precious metals, tech products and coking coal over the next five years.
The shift marks a significant reduction in US tariffs on Indian products, down from a rate of 50 percent late last year.
The deal eases months of tensions over India’s oil purchases, which Washington says fund a conflict it is trying to end.
It restores close ties between Trump and Modi, a fellow right-wing populist that the US leader has described as “one of my greatest friends.”
The 18 percent tariff level also gives Indian exporters a slight edge in the US market over competitors in the region who secured duties of around 19 percent to 20 percent, said Wendy Cutler, senior vice president at the Asia Society Policy Institute, this week.
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