CANGGUWEEKLY
No.321/24Mar-31Mar2023
Whilethedetailsofthe proposedlawhavenotbeen revealed,amemberof parliamentinvolvedindebating theHealthOmnibusBillshared thatexpatriatedoctorswouldbe conditionallyboundtoworkonly inhospitalsownedbyforeign investorsandwouldberequired totransferknowledgetolocal colleagues.
adaptationprogramat Indonesianhealthfacilities beforestartingprofessional work.Exceptionsaregivento thosewhohavecompletedfve yearsofoverseastraining.
IndonesiaAimstoImprove HealthcareQualitybyAllowing ForeignMedicalSpecialiststo Practice
Inabidtoimprovethequality andaccesstohealthcareinthe world'sfourthmostpopulous country,Indonesiaispreparing toallowforeignmedical specialiststopracticeinthe country.Themoveisexpected tolimitthefowofmiddle-class andwealthyIndonesiansgoing abroadfortreatmentandopen
upthesupplysideofthehealth equationfromaqualitativeand quantitativeperspective.
PresidentJokoWidodorevealed thatprovisionsforforeignmedical specialiststopracticeinthe countrywouldbeoutlinedina newlaw,whichiscurrentlybeing debatedinparliament.Speaking atthePresidentialPalace,the Presidentstressedthe importanceofimprovinghealth servicesthroughthisinitiative.
Themovetoallowforeign medicalpersonneltopracticein Indonesiahasreceivedsome criticismfromnationalistswho fearthatforeigndoctorswould dominatetheworkforceinthe sector.However,thememberof parliamentallayedthesefears, statingthatthehospitalwould probablyonlyemployafew foreigndoctorsandwouldnot operateineffciently. Accordingtotheproposed HealthOmnibusBill,foreign medicalpersonnelwillbeable toobtainworkpermitswitha validityperiodofthreeyears, whichcanbeextendedforjust onemoreyear.However,they willneedtogothroughan
Singapore-basedpublichealth expertDr.JeremyLimhailed Indonesia'splanasagamechanger,notingthatitwould improvehealthcarequalityand openupthesupplysideofthe healthequation.Dr.Lim,whois alsothedirectoroftheNational UniversityofSingapore'sSaw SweeHockSchoolofPublic Health,pointedoutthatthe countryhashuge'demand-side' needsthatarecurrentlybeing partiallymetbyIndonesians seekingcareoverseas.Wealthy Indonesiansoftentravelto Singapore,Malaysia,theUS, andEuropeformedicalservices. Ifallgoeswell,theproposedlaw allowingforeignmedical specialiststopracticein Indonesiacouldbepassedby theendofApril,makingiteasier forthecountry'shealthcare sectortoattractthebesttalents
"IndonesiatoAllowForeignMedicalSpecialiststoBoostHealthcareQualityandAccess"
Balihasplaceditselfatthe centerofaninternationaldebate surroundingIndonesia’shosting U-20WorldCupinmid-2023and adoptedapoliticalstandthat threatenstheIndonesian government’shard-foughtplans tohostaninternationalsporting eventandmayputtheWorld CupplannedforIndonesiaat risk.Bali’sGovernorWayan KosterhaswrittentotheMinister ofYouthandSportsurgingthat Israelbebannedfrom
TheGovernorsentcopiesofthe lettertoTheIndonesianSoccer Association(PSSI)andthe CoordinatingMinisterforHuman Development.
Kostercontinued,saying Indonesiahasnodiplomatic relationswithIsrael.Therefore,to honorIndonesia’sdiplomatic relationswithothercountries,the Governorrecommendsbanning
CommentingontheGovernor’s letter,theinterimYouthand SportsMinister,Muhadjir Effendy,isquotedinSuara.com sayingonTuesday,21March 2023:“Ihavereceived, communicatedwiththe Governor,andhelddiscussions. Myconclusionandthe conclusionIhopetheone sharedwithGovernorKoster,is thathisletterrepresentsa ‘comma’andnota“period.'”
ActingMinisterofYouthand Sports,MuhadjirEffendyhas pledgedtoensuretheIsraeli U-20Teamcancompetein Indonesia’sWorldCupU-20 2023.Heremindedeveryone concernedthatIndonesiawill actasthehostforthecoming U-20WorldCup.“Indonesia offereditsservicesandwas entrustedbyFIFAtohostthe games.Asthehostcountry, Indonesiamustbefriendlyand helpful,”saidEffendy.
Muhajdirsaidthegovernment
TheIsraeliU20Teamhas earnedaslotintheU20World CupCompetition,sparkinga nationalcontroversyandsmall publicprotestsinJakarta againstIsrael’scoming participation.Asamemberof theInternationalFootball Federation(FIFA),Indonesia mustfollowtheassociation’s rulesandfulfllitshostingduties byvolunteeringtohostU20 competitiveplay.
FIFAregulations(Article4, Paragraph5)forbidpoliticizing FIFA-relatedcompetitions. Thoserulesspecifythat competitionequipmentand uniformsmustbefreeof political,religious,orpersonal slogans,statements,orimages. Theonlylogosallowedon uniformsaremanufacturer logos.
Anyviolationofthismayresult insanctionsbythoseholding thecompetitions,theNational SoccerAssociation,orFIFA.
FIFAalsoforbidsIndonesia,as thehostofU-202023,from politicizingthecompetition.
FIFAhasnotformally announceditsstanceregarding anypossiblebanningofIsrael fromUS-20playinIndonesia. Israelisoneofthe24countries withaslottocompetein Indonesia.
participatingintheU-20(Under 20)SoccerWorldCupin Indonesiafrom20Mayuntil11 June2023.TheU20matches willoccuracrossthearchipelago inJakarta,SouthSumatra,West Java,CentralJava,EastJava, andBali.
Asreportedbydetik.com, GovernorKosterwrotetothe SportsMinisteron14March 2020(LetterNo.T.00.426/11470/ SEKRET),sayingthatIsrael’s politicalpoliciesregarding Palestinewereunacceptableto
theIsraeliU20teamfrom competinginIndonesia.
Kosterdescribesthecontinuing confictbetweenPalestineand Israelasa“seriousregional problem”intheMiddleEast.
“IhopetheMinisterofYouthand Sports(Menpora)willbarthe Israeliteamfromcompetingin Bali.TheProvinceofBalirejects theparticipationofIsraelinany Balimatches,”saidGovernor Koster.
mustnecessarilyseekthebest solution.Adding:“(Thehosting) isamatterofgovernment policy;wewillthereforeseek commonground.Weare hostingafterapplyingtohost theevent–wehavetoconsider that.TheGovernorisan extensionoftheCentral Government.Ihavebeenin touch,Ihavecontactedhim, therehavebeendiscussions, andallthatremainsisto continuediscussions,”he concluded.
Israelearneditsplaceinthe fnalroundoftheU-20World Cup2023afteritwonrunner-up intheEuropeanU-192022 (Under19),whichservesasthe qualifyingroundforcountries playingundertheUnionof EuropeanFootballAssociations (UEFA).
Amongthepossiblesanctions thatFIFAcouldimposeon Indonesiaisblacklistingitinall futureFIFA-relatedeventsheld inIndonesia.
(Balidiscovery.com)
TherecentmovebyBali’s GovernorWayanKosterto withdrawthevisa-on-arrival (VOA)facilityforRussianand Ukrainiannationalshascaused quiteastir,withobjectionsbeing raisedbytherespective ambassadorsofbothcountries. WhiletheUkrainianAmbassador toIndonesia,VasylHamianin, hadalreadyvoicedhisconcerns, theRussianAmbassadorin Jakarta,LyudmilaVorobieva, hasnowalsojoinedinthe protest.
SpeakingataForumon Indonesian-RussianTourism heldinJakartaonFriday,17 March2023,Ambassador Vorobievaexpressedherhope thatIndonesiawouldnotgivein toGovernorKoster's recommendation.She emphasizedthatsuchamove wouldundoubtedlyimpactthe fowofRussiantouriststoBali, whichhasbecomeapopular destinationamongRussians seekingasafeandsecureplace
toholiday.
TheBaliGovernor's recommendationtoendtheVOA facilityforcitizensofRussiaand Ukrainewasreportedlymadein responsetonumerousreportsof law-breakingbyUkrainiansand RussiansinBali.However, AmbassadorVorobievaurgedall concernednottofocussolelyon thisfact,pointingoutthatmost Russiantouristsarelaw-abiding andthatitisunfairtogeneralize basedontheactionsofafew.
Whiletheissuehasreceived widespreadcoverageinthe press,withreportsofRussians breakingtraffclawsandfalsifying theiridentitypapers,theheadof Bali’sProvincialTourismService, TjokBagusPemayun,has downplayedtheimpactofthe withdrawalofVOAsforRussians andUkrainians.Hestatedthatit wouldnotrepresentasignifcant problemforBali'stourism industryandthathehadnotyet receivedanyformalresponse
fromtheMinisterofLawand HumanRightsortheMinisterof ForeignAffairsregarding GovernorKoster's recommendation.
Inthemeantime,theRussian Ambassadorhaspromisedto remindRussiantourists travelingtoBalitofollowallthe locallawsandregulations,ina bidtoensurethattheydonot
runafoulofthelawwhileon holiday.Whileitremainstobe seenhowthisissuewillbe resolved,itisclearthatthe withdrawalofVOAsforRussian andUkrainiannationalshas sparkedaheateddebate,with bothsidesofferingtheirown perspectivesonthematter.
"RussianAmbassadorProtestsBaliGovernor'sRecommendationtoWithdrawVOA FacilityforRussiansandUkrainians"
Balipost.comandNusaBali.com quotetheMinisterofTourism andtheCreativeEconomy, SandiagaUnocharacterizing Bali’sdesiretoprohibitself-drive motorcyclesandothervehicles asimportantandnecessaryto enhanceroadwaysafety.
“Wearecertainlylookingatthe safetyaspects–especially traffcsafety.Thisisbecause manyforeigntouristsdonot holdanappropriatemotorcycle license.Attentionhasnotbeen paidtothisforquitesometime,” saidSandiaga,quotedbyThe StateNewsAgencyAntaraon Wednesday,15March2023.
MinisterSandiagasaid unlicensedtouristsexperiencing aroadaccidentcouldhavefatal consequences.
Sandiagadefendedtherecent rulingendingself-drivecarsand motorcyclesfortourists, explainingthatthegovernment hasreceivedmuchinputurging closerroadsupervisionand enforcementactionagainst traffcviolations.TheMinister added:“Wehavepublisheda ‘do’sanddon’ts”manualfor enforcementoffcialswho supervisethesafetyoftourists andforeigntravelers.”
Earlier,theheadofthe
ProvincialTourismServices (Dispar),TjokBagusPemayun, remindedthattheGovernor’s recentlyannouncedprohibitionof self-drivevehiclesoperatedby touristsoneverykindofvehicle inBaliwasalreadyaddressedin aGubernatorialRegulation publishedin2020(Pergub28 Tahun2020Pasal7ayat4).That regulation,seekingtoencourage qualitytouriststovisitBali, requiredthattouristsonlyuse vehiclesprovidedbylicensed travelagencies.
TjokBagussaidtheprohibition ontouristsself-driving motorcyclesandothervehicles willbesocializedfollowingfurther coordinationwiththeIsland’s police.Healsosaidtraffclaws mustbeenforceduniformlyand withoutfavoronbothlocalsand foreignersinBali.Uniform enforcementisneededtoavoid foreignersfeelingtheyarebeing singledoutfornotwearinga helmetwhen,infact,manylocal Balineseescapeenforcement.
SpeakingtoNusaBali.comon Wednesday,15March2023, NengahNadi,theownerof SubrataMotorBikeforRent–a motorcyclerentalcompanyin Kuta,sayshedisagreeswiththe rulesannouncedbyGovernor Koster.“Ifforeigntouristsarenot allowedtouserental
motorcycles,thisisthesame askillingmotorcyclerenters.I regretthischange.Whywasn’t thisruleintroducedduringthe COVID-19pandemic?”
NengahNadisaidhowhehas rentedmotorcyclesforthelast fveyears.Duringthe pandemic,whentherewereno rentals,hewascompelledto sellallhismotorcyclestopay hislivingcosts.Whenthe pandemiclifted,heobtained credittopurchaseten motorcyclestorestarthis business.
“Ihavenowborrowedmoney tobuymoremotorcycles.Ifthe (new)regulationtakeseffect,I cannotsecurethedown paymentformorebikes.Iwill havetoreturnthebikes.Iwill havenowork.Iwillbe completelyruined.Itwillbelike asecondpandemic.Inowown tenmotorcycles–allboughton
credit,”saidNengahNadi.He continued,sayinghedoesnot believealltouristvisitors misbehaveandbreakthelaws onBaliroadways.Hefeelsonly afewtouristsaredisrupting publicorderandbreakingthe rules.
Nengahrequiresallhisforeign touristcustomerstoprovide copiesoftheirpassports,driving license,hoteldetails,and telephonecontact.Hesaidhe alsochecksthedriving competencyofeachcustomer beforerentingoutamotorcycle.
Motorbikerentalcompaniesare reportingarapidandcontinuing increaseinbusinesssincethe liftingofCOVID-19restrictions. Manyrentalagenciesarecalling onthegovernmenttoreviewthe Governor’snewestrulingand continuetoallowforeigntourists torentmotorcycles.
