Indonesia Explains Its Focus in COVID-19 Handling during WEF Special Virtual

By Office of Assistant to Deputy Cabinet Secretary for State Documents & Translation     Date 26 November 2020
Category: News
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Minister of SOE Erick Thohir accompanies President Jokowi attending WEF Meeting, Wednesday (25/11) virtually from the Bogor Presidential Palace, West Java. (Photo: Presidential Secretariat/Muchlis Jr)

Deputy Chair of the COVID-19 Handling and National Economic Recovery Working Committee Erick Thohir explained the Indonesian Government’s measures in handling COVID-19 pandemic at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Special Virtual on Indonesia via  video conference from the Bogor Presidential Palace, West Java, Wednesday (25/11).

He explained that the Government focuses on three issues, namely prioritizing the lives and health of the people, securing jobs and creating employment.

“Those three issues are included in a program called ‘Healthy Indonesia, Working Indonesia, and Developing Indonesia’,” said Erick in his press statement after the meeting.

For the Healthy Indonesia Program, Erick added, the Government always prioritizes health as the main reference.

“We are doing standardization rather than treatment, we are also seeking solutions for vaccines to reduce mortality and suppress transmission. We do that consistently,” he said.

In the Working Indonesia Program, continued Erick, the Government continues to provide facilities and to ensure that the Indonesian people can continue to work. This is done through various assistances, such as social assistance, salary subsidies, Village direct cash assistance, pre-employment cards, and others.

He went on to say that the Indonesian Government has decided to make the momentum of the current crisis as a stepping stone.

“We cannot remain silent, all investment made during this pandemic such as infrastructure development, industrial estates development, tourism development, food estates development, and others are part of the Government’s long-term programs,” said Erick.

For the record, this forum is a series of WEF’s Country Strategy Dialogue which brings together the Government of a country with global business players. This forum was attended by President Joko Widodo and related ministers and more than 43 CEOs from 20 countries.

Erick said that in the meeting there were many questions about investment from the CEOs. Responding to this, Erick stated that the Indonesian Government welcomes investment, both by domestic and foreign investors.

Erick also explained that Indonesia is currently making a Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF). He ensured that the SWF management would be carried out in  transparent and accountable manners. The SWF, he added, will be used to accelerate the Government’s strategic projects.

“We are currently making a Sovereign Wealth Fund which aims to accelerate the Government’s strategic projects,” he said. (SLN/UN) (EST/LW)

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