President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) asked micro and small business actors not to close their businesses or go out of business and remain enthusiastic about entrepreneurship amid the pandemic.

"I have experienced the same as Ladies and Gentlemen, once again the spirit of work should not be slack, maintain your business, do not close, do not lose," President Jokowi said during the Provision of Working Capital Assistance (BMK), at the Bogor Presidential Palace, West Java, on Tuesday.

On that occasion, dozens of micro and small business actors including mobile traders who usually operate in Bogor, West Java, were invited to the courtyard of the Bogor Presidential Palace.

President Jokowi directly provided working capital assistance of IDR 2.4 million to micro and small entrepreneurs.

The Head of State also took the time to have a dialogue with several micro-entrepreneurs and asked about their difficulties. A hodgepodge trader complained that his turnover had fallen by half during the pandemic, as did the hawkers who used to sell tissue and candy, who now only got around Rp 60,000 in profit a day.

President Jokowi said that similar conditions occurred not only in Indonesia but also occurred in 215 countries.

"The conditions are exactly the same, not only the small ones, the micro, the medium ones, the big ones are all in the same position, all have difficulties, therefore in this condition we must work even harder, have to endure, and work even harder,” President Jokowi said.

President Jokowi emphasized that in these conditions morale must not decrease.

"We hope that in December, vaccines will enter, and next year it will be normal, don't lose momentum when it is normal, there is no working capital, this must really be calculated," President Jokowi said.

President Jokowi also advised that the working capital assistance provided to micro and small entrepreneurs be used for business capital and not for consumptive purposes. (Antaranews)