Dialogue between President of the Republic of Indonesia and Participants of the Gotong Royong Vaccination for Employees, 18 May 2021, in Jababeka Industrial Estate, Cikarang, Bekasi Regency, West Java Province

President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)

Good morning.

Assalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.

I am glad to meet you all this morning, ladies and gentlemen, esteemed guests, because the Gotong Royong vaccination has started. I am at a factory belonging to the PT Unilever Indonesia, Jababeka Industrial Estate, and I have seen there are 18 companies/factories/industrial locations participating in the Gotong Royong vaccination simultaneously.

We hope through the implementation of vaccination in the manufacturing industry, in factories, and in productive locations of industrial estates, all employees can be protected from COVID-19 transmission. These production areas, industrial estates/factories/productive companies are expected to work more productively as well as there will be no further spread of COVID-19 in companies.

I also extend my gratitude to all companies, managements, and employees, as well as the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) for implementing the Gotong Royong vaccination program, which hopefully helps us achieve herd immunity to curb the spread of COVID-19 and eliminate the disease from our beloved country. I thank you.

Please, anyone.

Stephanie Susanto (PT Sinar Mas Agribusiness and Food)

Good morning, Pak President. I thank you in advance. I’d like to introduce myself. My name is Stephani Susanto from Sinar Mas, representing Sinar Mas Agribusiness and Food. There are also Pak Budiono and Pak Agus here with me to welcome Pak President and Ministers as well as all the ranks. We would like to thank you for the participatory visit, inspecting firsthand and supporting the ongoing implementation of the Gotong Royong vaccination at Sinar Mas Agribusiness and Food in Marunda, which was carried out virtually and seen by Pak President from Jababeka.

Indeed, Sir, we are the big family of Sinar Mas are very optimistic, Sir. This is a form of the Government’s efforts to break the chain of COVID-19 through the Gotong Royong vaccination. We also believe that this program will speed up Indonesia’s economic recovery process, including maintaining the smoothness of biodiesel production, which is also a successful government program.

Pak Jokowi, Ladies and Gentlemen, we are currently carrying out the vaccination right behind me, which was started at 08.15 a.m. Western Indonesia Time. Today, Sinar Mas Agribusiness and Food is expected to vaccinate 600 employees, Sir, but we expect to reach 3,000 employees, Sir. That is all for the information, Sir.

President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)

Today, how many people will be vaccinated?

Stephanie Susanto (PT Sinar Mas Agribusiness and Food)

Pak Jokowi, we will vaccinate 600 employees from Sinar Mas Agribusiness and Food today and we are targeting 3,000 employees to be vaccinated gradually in the first phase, Pak Jokowi.

President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)

Hmm, 3.000 (employees) in total?

Stephanie Susanto (PT Sinar Mas Agribusiness and Food)

Yes, Sir. As many as 3.000 (employees) for the first phase.

President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)

Okay, thank you. Thank you.

Stephanie Susanto (PT Sinar Mas Agribusiness and Food)

I thank you, Sir.

Representatives from PT Indah Kiat Pulp and Paper

Good morning, Pak Jokowi. We are from PT Indah Kiat Pulp and Paper APP (Asia Pulp and Paper) Sinar Mas and we have also conducted the vaccination this morning, which started at 7 a.m. We are grateful for the cooperation of the Government. We have our Board of Directors here, the Mayor of South Tangerang and Municipal Police Chief (Kapolres) as well as Regional Military Command (Dandim) that will directly monitor the Gotong Royong vaccination held at PT Indah Kiat Pulp and Paper APP Sinar Mas.

Well, Sir, there is one of our employees who wants to share her gratitude for the availability of the Gotong Royong vaccination scheme.

Good morning, Ma’am. Your name, Ma’am? Probably you want to share something with Pak Jokowi?

Baik Nia (Employee at PT Indah Kiat Pulp and Paper)

Good morning, Sir. I am Baik Nia, an employee at APP Sinar Mas. I really thank Pak President for being directly involved, monitoring the operation of this vaccination. I hope this vaccination will run more smoothly and the mobility will return to normal as before. Thank you, Sir.

President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)

We have started the Government’s free vaccination drive on 13 January prior to this Gotong Royong vaccination. To date, we have inoculated 23 million doses of vaccine from a total of 380 doses of vaccines. This is still a long way to go.

To that end, I’d like to once again extend my gratitude since this Gotong Royong vaccination will speed up the vaccination process throughout the country. And, looking for vaccines is also not easy. To date, we are committed to getting 30 million (doses of vaccine), but today we only have (asking the Minister) 420 thousand. Thus, ladies and gentlemen, you’re all lucky to receive the first-phase vaccine because when it comes to buying vaccines, we must compete with 215 other countries. All countries want to get vaccines to escape the COVID-19 pandemic.

I thank you, Sinar Mas. Thank you.

Suryandi (Director of PT Chandra Asri Petrochemical)

Let us introduce ourselves, I am Suryandi, and here is Pak Rully Haryawan. We are Directors of Chandra Asri together with the employees at the factory that today will be vaccinated.

First, we feel grateful and would like to extend our gratitude to Pak President and his ranks for supporting the economic growth as well as operation of our factory.

Today, for the first phase, we will vaccinate 1,000 employees in several stages. We have provided 4,400 vaccines for our employees and their family, which hopefully will be conducted from May until June, depending on the entry of available vaccines.

We, once again, represent the directors and commissioners of Chandra Asri would like to express our highest appreciation for the support of the President and his ranks so that we can provide the vaccines to employees and their family members.

On this occasion, we also have a representative from the employees here with us. If you allow, Sir, the representative would like to extend appreciation to you, Pak President. Thank you, good afternoon.

President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)

Please, anyone. Go ahead.

Della (Employee at PT Chandra Asri Petrochemical)

Good morning, Pak President Jokowi. My name is Della, an employee at PT Chandra Asri. We would like to thank you in advance, Pak Jokowi and all government officials for giving us the opportunity to participate in today’s Gotong Royong vaccination that will be continued for our family members. Hopefully, through this vaccination, we can support production and work properly to boost Indonesia’s economy. Once again, we thank you very much, Pak Jokowi and all government officials.

President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)

Well, I thank you.

Thus, ladies and gentlemen, you’re all in a vital position for this country, namely in production areas, productive areas that are crucial for our national economic growth. If there are any companies, factories, or industries that do not run the production, it means that our economic growth will decline and fall into a bad position.

We’re all aware that our economic growth in the first quarter of 2021 showed minus 0.74 percent. I have given a target to ministries and of course, it must be supported by all companies. We are targeting that the economic growth to increase by approximately 7 percent from negative growth of 0.74 percent, which will result in a positive growth of approximately 7 percent. This is not easy.

Therefore, I encourage all of us to be more productive in producing whatever the products are. And, I also thank PT Chandra Asri for conducting the vaccination this morning. I thank you. (RIF/LW)