Gov’t to Continue Providing Social Assistance as PPKM Ends

President Jokowi delivers his statement at the State Palace in Jakarta, Friday (12/30) (Photo by: BPMI of Presidential Secretariat)

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo Friday (12/30) officially announced that the Government has lifted the public activity restriction enforcement (PPKM).

Nevertheless, the President underscored that the distribution of social assistance for people will continue.

“I would like to say that you shouldn’t be worried. As PPKM is lifted, the Government will continue distributing social assistance. Once again, social assistance will continue in 2023,” President Jokowi said at Presidential Palace in Jakarta.

In addition to providing the social assistance, the Government, he added, will also continue distributing medicines through appointed health facilities in all over Indonesia and providing several incentives, including tax incentives.

For the record, the lifting of the PPKM is based on the result of 10-month-research concerning COVID-19 pandemic situation in Indonesia.

“To that end, the Government hereby has decided to lift the PPKM as regulated in Instructions of Minister of Home Affairs Number 50, 51 of 2022. Let me reiterate that there are no more restrictions on crowds and people’s mobility,” the President added.

President Jokowi further said that before the lifting of the PPKM, all regencies/cities throughout Indonesia were at Level 1 of PPKM status, which is the low-level restriction.

Moreover, the indicator of COVID-19 handling was maintained below the WHO standard.

“In the last several months, COVID-19 pandemic [in Indonesia] has been under control. As of December 27, 2022, daily cases are recorded only 1.7 cases per 1 million people, weekly positivity rate is at 3.35 percent, the BOR (bed occupancy ratio) is at 4.49 percent, while fatality rate is at 2.39 percent. All indicators are below the WHO standard,” the President said.

President Jokowi went on to say that Indonesia’s success in managing COVID-19 pandemic as well as in maintaining economy was attributable to the “gas and brake pedals” policy implemented by the Government.  (TGH/UN) (AP/HD/EP)