VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Erick Thohir, State Enterprises Minister, concurrently Executive Chairman of the Economic Recovery and COVID-19 Response Team. (ANTARA PHOTO/Adam Bariq/app/aww).

Indonesian State Enterprises Minister, concomitantly Executive Chairman of the Economic Recovery and COVID-19 Response Team, Erick Thohir called for the pace of economic recovery and the handling of COVID-19 to go hand-in-hand in the current scenario.

"I think in the context of today's situation, these two aspects must definitely go hand-in-hand," Thohir remarked while delivering a statement at the BUMN Ministry in Jakarta on Monday.

The minister cautioned to not misinterpret the new normal terminology in which people would go about their activities without restrictions and defying necessary adherence to health protocols to safeguard against the virus transmission.

Thohir believes that in the absence of discipline, the national economy would yet again be impacted if a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic were to strike Indonesia.

Several businesses, including the film business and cafes, have yet to reopen in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) took the decision to merge the COVID-19 Task Force and Economic Recovery Task Force under the Coordinating Economic Affairs Minister Airlangga Hartarto’s leadership so that they match and function in concert, he stated.

As the new team’s executive chairman, he decided to hold a meeting with Doni Monardo, the COVID-19 Response Task Force head, and Budi Gunardi Sadikin, the Economic Recovery Task Force head, to hold discussions on the targets to be achieved through coordination for the application of their programs.

President Jokowi signed a government regulation on economic recovery and COVID-19 handling, including the formation of the new team. (ANTARA)