Gov’t to Prioritize Vaccine, Cash Direct Assistance Next Year: Chief Economic Minister

Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs gives a press statement after a plenary cabinet meeting, Monday (7/9), at the State Palace, Jakarta. (Photo by: Agung/PR)

The Government has announced it will continue priority programs such as provision of vaccines and distribution of social assistance next year, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said.

According to him, the programs are expected to maintain people’s purchasing power amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

A number of Government’s National Economic Recovery (PEN) programs, he added, include the family hope program (PKH), basic necessities for both in the Greater Jakarta and cash in other Greater Jakarta areas, pre-employment cards, electricity discounts, logistics, groceries, cash direct assistance for village (BLT Desa), cooperative investment through the Revolving Fund Management Agency (LPDB), and productive presidential assistance (Banpres) for micro enterprises.

“We will continue a host of priority programs called superior programs next year, among others, provision of vaccine given that several companies have prepared the procurement of vaccine, namely the Red and White vaccine run by Ministry of Research and Technology/National Agency for Research and Innovation together with the Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology, and state-owned pharmaceutical company Biofarma,” the Minister said after a plenary cabinet meeting, Monday (7/9).

Airlangga also noted that private Chinese biopharmaceutical firm Sinovac Biotech has prepared 290 million doses of vaccines and 30 million doses of vaccines from the United Arab Emirates’ Group 42 (G42) this year.

“The Government has set aside a budget of Rp3.8 trillion this year and Rp37 trillion next year for a multi-year program,” he said.

Continued programs prioritized for social assistance, Airlangga continued, include cash social assistance related to presidential assistance for micro, small, and medium enterprises, a wage subsidy program in the first quarter of next year, pre-employment card, cash social assistance, PKH, and groceries.

“Ministry of Health will also prepare for the operationalization of the vaccination, which is expected to start early next year with the arrival of 30 million doses of vaccines by the end of this year,” he said. (TGH/EN)

Translator: Muhardi
Reviewed by: M. Ersan Pamungkas