ASIA-PACIFIC REGION - INDONESIAN BUSINESSES LOOK TO SINGAPORE, MALAYSIA FOR COVID-19 MEASURES.

Byline: S.KAMAL HAYDER KAZMI

Indonesian businesses are looking at neighboring countries for coronavirus responses as Southeast Asia's most populous country faces increasing pressure to escalate its own measures, including potentially locking down the economy. The Jakarta Post spoke to three business leaders who said a Singapore-like response, where the government allows businesses and factories to operate, was more ideal for local enterprises instead of a full lockdown. The city-state has focused on tighter border control, contact tracing, social distancing and expanding healthcare services to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

"The difference is that Indonesia is a big country, but we have to start with good virus testing protocols," Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) deputy chairwoman Shinta Kamdani said on Thursday. "And Singapore is a good example." The Indonesian government is under pressure from both the World Health Organization and local communities to intensify its response toward the COVID-19 outbreak, particularly because the country's largest annual holiday exodus, Idul Fitri, is just around the corner. Indonesia has so far responded by urging the public to practice social distancing, imposing temporary travel bans and shutting down schools in certain regions.

On Thursday, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo ordered mass testing in an effort to contain the spread of the disease after saying on Monday that the government was "not leaning toward issuing a lockdown". Singaporean National Development Minister Lawrence Wong, meanwhile, said on Tuesday that the government "was not planning" for a lockdown but also "can't rule it out". Shinta went on to say that Apindo members had begun rolling out work from home (WFH) protocols, introducing limiting office density, reducing face-to-face meetings and assigning fewer work trips in helping mitigate the pandemic.

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