Gov’t Continues to Maintain People’s Purchasing Power Amid Pandemic

President Jokowi in his remarks at the 2020 National Coordination Meeting on Inflation Control (via video conference) (Photo by: BPMI-Presidential Secretariat)

The Government’s policy to control inflation amid COVID-19 pandemic must be directed to find an equilibrium in supply and demand, as well as to provide stimulus for industries to keep going, according to President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.

“So when our economy begins to recover and people’s purchasing power returns to normal, there will be no significant pressure on prices,” the President said in his remarks at the 2020 National Coordination Meeting on Inflation Control (via video conference), Thursday (22/10).

In addition to focusing on price control, the President continued, those policies must also be directed to maintain people’s purchasing power through social protection program and to support MSMEs sector.

“To maintain people’s purchasing power, the Central Government has launched various social protection program schemes and cash transfer programs namely the Family Hope Program (PKH), Cash Social Assistance, Village Funds direct cash assistance, Pre-Employment Cards, Salary Subsidies Assistance, and Productive Social Assistance for MSME,” he said.

With these various assistance schemes, the Government, he said, hopes that household consumption will increase which can result in increased demand and supply growth.

President Jokowi also said that he had ordered local governments to strengthen the Central Government’s policies by immediately realizing their regional budget spending.

“Particularly to absorb domestic products, both agricultural products and MSMEs products,” he added.

Local governments, he added, have also been ordered to ensure the accuracy of food availability information to support policy formulation at the central and regional levels.

“The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has warned that the COVID-19 pandemic may trigger food crisis. Therefore, I urge governors, regents, and mayors to pay closer attention to the availability of food in your respective regions,” President Jokowi said.

The President further said that he had ordered local governments to remind the people to stay optimistic regarding the national COVID-19 pandemic handling.

“By staying united, we will be able to get through all of this. God willing, I am sure with that spirit, our health will recover quickly and our economy will also rebound,” he said. (BPMI/UN)

Translated by: Galuh Wicaksono
Reviewed by: Muhammad Ersan Pamungkas