Bali college accepts coconuts as tuition fees to help students amid COVID-19

Acknowledging that Indonesian students have been economically hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, a college in Bali, Indonesia has announced that it would accept coconuts as tuition fees from students battling financial crisis. Venus One Tourism Academy, a popular hospitality institute, has notified all students struggling to pay fees that it would now accept fees in form of coconuts as well as other natural products available to them. In addition to getting fees in kind, the college has also announced that it would allow students to resale their products made from them, a move to harness their marketing and interpersonal skills.

Speaking to Bali Sun, Wayan Pasek Adi Putra, an official at the institute said that coconuts could be used to harvest Virgin coconut oil at the school. In addition, he added, that the organisation was also accepting payments in the form of Mringa leaves, and gotu kola leaves, which could be used to produce herbal soaps. Elaborating upon the decision, he added that initially, he collage started instalment programme to get payments. But, looking at the crisis, they became more flexible adding payments in products.

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'Job creation law' Approved

Meanwhile, the country's parliament has approved a new 'Job Creation Law' which is expected to substantially change Indonesia’s labor system and natural resources management. As per AP, the parliament amended 79 previous laws and is intended to improve bureaucratic efficiency as part of efforts by President Joko Widodo’s administration to attract more investment to the country.

But the law has been rejected by the country's workforce and students who have touted that it the new law would hurt the labour force by reducing severance pay, removing restrictions on manual labor by foreign workers, increasing the use of outsourcing, and converting monthly salaries to hourly wages.

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