President Jokowi Calls for Concrete, Agile, Swift COVID-19 Management Crisis

President Jokowi and Vice President Ma’ruf Amin lead a Limited Meeting. (Photo by: Secretariat Cabinet Public Relations Division)

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo called for a more concrete, agile, and swift management crisis of COVID-19 which fulfills the aspects of troubleshooting and smart shortcut, so that the results can be more effective.

The President also emphasized the importance of balance measures that must be taken at the third quarter of 2020 to economic sector, particularly household consumption and people’s purchasing power.

“I noticed that budget realization is still small. Out of Rp695 trillion budget allocated for economic stimulus in the handling of COVID-19, only 20 percent has been realized or equals to Rp141 trillion. Only 20 percent, it’s really small,” he said in a Limited Meeting on the Handling of COVID-19 and National Economic Recovery, at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Monday (3/8).

According to the President, social protection programs contributed the largest absorption with 39 percent, followed by Micro, Small, Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs)  programs with 25 percent.

“Around 40 percent (of the budget) has not coupled with its Budget Execution Lists (DIPA). If the DIPA has not been formulated, budget realization cannot be conducted. It means ministries and institutions have not taken this seriously,” he firmly said.

He went on to say that ministries and institutions are still focusing on their daily tasks that they cannot decide programs that must be prioritized.

“For that reason, I instructed the Heads (Head of Policy Committee, and Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs) to work on this issue with related ministers,” the President concluded. (FID/EN)

Translated by : Rany Anjany
Reviewed by: Yuyu Mulyani