Government Announces New Economic Stimulus Package with Flight Discounts and Internship Programs
Economic Coordinating Minister Airlangga Hartarto announced a series of economic stimulus measures to be implemented in the second quarter and second semester of this year. The announcement was made by Airlangga following a limited coordination meeting with several ministers at the Economic Coordinating Ministry office in Jakarta on Tuesday (26/5).
First, transportation discounts and airfare reductions will be offered during school holidays and the upcoming Christmas and New Year (Nataru) period.
“For school holidays, a budget of Rp190 billion has been allocated, benefiting 3,074,889 people. For Nataru, a budget of Rp161.4 billion has been prepared, targeting 2,874,381 beneficiaries,” Airlangga stated.
Additionally, a 30% discount and government-covered VAT will apply to economy-class air travel. A budget of Rp472.7 billion has been allocated, targeting 2.3 million passengers.
Furthermore, government-covered VAT for transport during Nataru has a budget of Rp722 billion, targeting 3.7 million passengers.
The next national internship programme batch 4 will commence in July for 150,000 participants with a budget of Rp4.14 trillion.
“Additionally, the national vocational programme targets 220,000 high school graduates and 50,000 workers who have been laid off, with a budget of Rp2.12 trillion,” Airlangga added.
The government will also introduce tax incentives for writers in the second semester. The incentive reduces the income tax (PPh)/royalty rate from 6% to 1.5% of gross income. This is a final PPh Article 23 tax withheld by the publisher.
“We discussed the facilities prepared for the second semester. First, tax incentives for writers have been decided with a final PPh rate of 1.5%,” Airlangga said.
“Anyone who publishes a book with a clear ISBN. This is a campaign promise by the President, so it will be implemented immediately,” he concluded.
Economic Coordinating Minister Airlangga Hartarto said the work-from-home (WFH) scheme is implemented in response to rising oil prices.
The Indonesian government is strengthening strategic partnerships with Japan in industrial development, energy transition, and global supply chain resilience.
Economic Coordinating Minister Airlangga Hartarto revealed that Indonesia-US trade tariffs have been reduced from 19% to 15%.
Indonesia and the US signed the ART Agreement. Export tariffs have been reduced, with 1,819 products exempted, alongside new investment and trade commitments.
The Indonesian government continues to strengthen strategic partnerships with the UK government through enhanced economic cooperation focused on strategic issues.