E-Commerce Firms Commit to Transparency in Govt Procurement

Jakarta Globe, Sarah Yuniarni, May 26, 2016

Four e-commerce companies, including one of the country's oldest, Bhinneka.com,
have signed integrity agreements with the Services Procurement Policy Institution,
known as LKPP, on Thursday (26/05) to uphold transparency in the government's online
procurement system. (JG screenshot)

Jakarta. Four e-commerce companies, including one of the country's oldest, Bhinneka.com, have signed integrity agreements with the Services Procurement Policy Institution, known as LKPP, on Thursday (26/05) to uphold transparency in the government's online procurement system.

Other e-commerce sites that entered into the agreement are AnugrahPratama.com, Ayoklik.com, and Mbiz.co.id, the Lippo Group's online procurement commerce site.

The government has developed an e-catalog over the last few years, which lists the goods and services it needs online. The catalog also lists specifications and prices from several suppliers and contractors.

It is expected to speed up the procurement process as it gives the government the freedom to directly choose the best offer from the list.

This system could abolish the tender system, which often sees prices of goods and services marked up multiple times, giving rise to corrupt practices.

"Also, all the payments are by bank transfer, not in cash," Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama said during a discussion at the Grand Sahid Hotel in Central Jakarta.

Basuki added that the e-catalog would create opportunities for local businesses and empower them.

"We will benefit when everybody acts as a watchdog," LKPP head Agus Prabowo said.

According to him, the e-catalog will create openness and encourage fair competition between businesses.

The government plans to accelerate the implementation of the e-catalog, which it will reduce the time needed for purchases and make it easier to draw up budgets, since the verified prices of goods are listed on the website.

Mbiz.co.id is a Jakarta-based online marketplace focused on providing procurement solutions. Customers have access to a large number of categories of goods, including electronics and industrial equipment.

"When we applied to be listed on the government e-catalog, everything needed to be in detail, including our human resources and infrastructure, but it's fair," Mbiz.co.id co-founder Andrew Mawikere said.

Jokowi Returns to Jakarta After S. Korea, Russia Trip

Jakarta Globe, Eko Prasetyo, May 21, 2016

President Joko Widodo welcomed by Vice President Jusuf Kalla at Halim
Perdanakusuma Airport, East Jakarta, Saturday (21/05). After an official visit
to South Korea and Russia, Jokowi has secured partnership agreements
and investment commitments to Indonesia. (State Palace Press Photo/Laily) 

Jakarta. After a week of meetings in South Korea and Russia, President Joko Widodo returned to Jakarta on Saturday (21/05) boasting commitments to bilateral and regional partnerships.

The five day trip resulted in a variety of agreements with South Korean and Russian private business, as well as among Asean.

"In the visit to Korea, there was high enthusiasm from South Korean businessmen. The resulting deals have reached around $18 billion," Foreign Minster Retno Marsudi said in a statement at Halim Perdanakusuma Airport, East Jakarta.

At least seven agreements were signed in South Korea, including in the maritime, creative industry, sports, special economic regions and corruption eradication sectors.

In Russia, Joko met with President Vladimir Putin to enhance partnerships in palm exports, fisheries and investment diversification.

"All the potential will be followed up," Retno said, adding that Russia has also committed to constructing a $13 billion oil refinery. “Also, there were five agreements on defense, fishing, culture, national archive and foreign ministry archives.”

During the Asean-Russia Summit, Joko said partnerships should be focused on energy, small-medium enterprises and connectivity, while maintaining peace and security in the region.

Joko met with the Vietnamese and Singaporean Prime Ministers to discuss the realization of the 2018 $10 billion trade target and continuing maritime delimitations.

President Joko Widodo inaugurated as Seoul's honorary citizen, during his state
visit to the South Korean capital on Tuesday (17/05). (State Palace Press Photo/Intan)

Related Article:

Jokowi Named Asia’s Inspiring Figure 2016 in South Korea

Jokowi, Putin Sign Five Agreements to Strengthen Bilateral Ties

Jakarta Globe, Edo Karensa, May 19, 2016

Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and Russian President Vladimir Putin
 signed five agreements to strengthen bilateral ties between the two countries on
Wednesday (18/05).(Reuters Photo/Kirill Kudryavtsev) 

Jakarta. Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and Russian President Vladimir Putin have signed five agreements to strengthen bilateral ties between the two countries on Wednesday (18/05).

The agreements were signed by both leaders during a bilateral meeting at President Putin's official residence in the resort city of Sochi in Southern Russia.

They include bilateral cooperations on defense, national and foreign affairs archives, culture as well as joint efforts to curb illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing activities.

“President Putin and I have agreed to strengthen our defense cooperation. We also discussed further cooperations on technology transfer, joint production, training and education,” Jokowi said, as quoted by the State Palace website.

Jokowi also said Indonesia and Russia will continue existing cooperation to combat terrorism and boost information exchanges in intelligent operations.

“We've had good coordination between the two countries to prevent terror threats, and now we have agreed to strengthen defense institutions in both countries,” Putin said.

In culture and education affairs, President Putin promised to grant 100 scholarships to Indonesian students next year, which will be a great addition to the 100 Indonesians already studying in Rusia.

The Indonesian president is visiting Rusia to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations-Russia Summit 2016 on May 17-20, also in Sochi. He has invited President Putin to make a return visit to Indonesia.

Panama Papers showed vulnerability of whole system: Panama president

Yahoo – AFP, May 3, 2016

Panama's President Juan Carlos Varela delivers keynote address at a luncheon
during the Washington Conference on the Americas at the State Department on
May 3, 2016 in Washington, DC (AFP Photo/Mandel Ngan)

Washington (AFP) - The scandal triggered by the Panama Papers leak of information on how and where the world's wealthy stash funds to avoid detection or taxes underscored many countries' vulnerabilities, President Juan Carlos Varela said Tuesday.

Speaking at the State Department in Washington, the Panamanian president said the documents "reveal a worldwide problem, that involves many countries with legal and financial institutions" vulnerable to actions "that are not in the public interest."

Mossack Fonseca's founder lawyer Ramon

 Fonseca is a friend of Panama's President 

Juan Carlos Varela (shown here) and, until 

March, served as a senior advisor in his 

cabinet (AFP Photo/Rodrigo Arangua)

To that end, countries need to improve transparency and information sharing, Varela argued.

"We urge the international community to maintain a respectful dialogue through diplomatic channels," he added.

Panama and the United States last week signed an agreement on sharing of back account information in a step Panama's finance minister hailed as proof of his country's cooperation in fighting tax evasion.

The bilateral agreement comes weeks after the Panama Papers, a series of reports around the world revealing how one Panamanian law firm set up offshore entities to help the world's wealthy stash their assets.

Following the revelations, Panama has come under intense international pressure to open its financial sector to greater transparency or risk being put back on a global "tax haven" blacklist.

While the government has long said it is committed to that goal and has made some reforms in that direction, it has so far not signed up to an international standard on automatic sharing of tax information set by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Panama's President Juan Carlos Varela, left, sits with Singapore's President 

Tony Tan, right, for a meeting at the Istana or presidential palace on Friday, 

April 22, 2016, in Singapore. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)

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Switzerland, Singapore join clampdown on bank secrecy (Update)