VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Screenshot - Health Ministry's spokesperson for COVID-19 vaccination  Siti Nadia Tarmizi  (ANTARA)

The Indonesian government has distributed seven million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for the first phase of vaccination of the elderly in the country that will commence next week.

Nearly 70 percent of the seven million doses of the vaccine will be delivered to Java and Bali that recorded the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the country, Health Ministry's spokesperson for COVID-19 vaccination, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, stated during an online press conference here on Friday.

The vaccination program will commence in five municipalities in Jakarta and capitals of 33 provinces in Indonesia next week.

"In addition to all municipalities in Jakarta, the vaccine will be administered to the elderly in 33 provincial capital cities, such as Bandung in West Java, Denpasar in Bali, Medan in North Sumatra, and Makassar in South Sulawesi," she noted.Vaccination of the elderly against the coronavirus is one of the strategic programs in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Head of the COVID-19 Task Force, Doni Monardo, remarked recently that the elderly are a group vulnerable to contracting COVID-19 after the group of healthcare workers.

The Food and Drug Control Administration (BPOM) has issued the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for Sinovac's COVID-19 vaccine, Coronavac, for the group of people aged 60 years and above in Indonesia.

The BPOM had issued the permit on February 5, with two doses of each injection, and each dose administered at an interval of 28 days.

According to BPOM Head Penny Lukito, the emergency use permit is based on the results of monitoring for phase I and II of the clinical trial processes in China for administering vaccine to residents over 60 years of age.Results of the clinical trial in China involving 400 elderly that were administered the Coronavac vaccine injection indicated an immunity level of up to 97.96 percent following the second injection//ANT

A screenshot of Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati at the launch of Gernas BBI Beli Kreatif Danau Toba in Jakarta on Saturday (February 20, 2021). (ANTARA/Astrid Faidlatul Habibah)

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati has assured that state budget funds will be used to support micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to help them recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Amid the pandemic, we must contribute and work hand in hand to restore and support MSMEs so they can not only withstand (the crisis), but also rise to become stronger,” she said while launching the Proud of Indonesia-Made Product National Movement (Gemas BBI) here on Saturday.

The government has so far provided significant support to MSMEs through the state budget, particularly through the national economic recovery program (PEN), she pointed out.

The Rp688.33-trillion budget for the 2021 recovery program includes MSME support and corporate financing worth Rp187.17 trillion and focuses on several programs, she said.

The programs include interest subsidies for smallholder business credit (KUR) and non-smallholder business credit (non-KUR), productive assistance for micro business (BPUM), and loss limit insurance for MSMEs and corporations."The government has so far given much assistance to MSMEs," the minister remarked.

Indrawati said efforts to revive MSMEs have also involved integrating creative economic activity with the development of tourist destinations, including Lake Toba in North Sumatra.

The government is promoting Gemas BBI through efforts such as the Beli Kreatif Danau Toba 2021 (Creative Buy of Lake Toba 2021) movement.

"We have pushed various kinds of state budget funds to boost MSMEs. This is one such collaboration to drive tourism in Lake Toba, which is a priority destination," Minister Indrawati said//ANT

Minister for State-Owned Enterprises of the Republic of Indonesia Erick Thohir (left) holds a meeting with Singapore's Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan. Documentation of Ministry of State-Owned Enterprises.

Minister for State-Owned Enterprises of the Republic of Indonesia, Erick Thohir, invited Singapore to further bolster economic cooperation.

"President Joko Widodo has formed and appointed professionals to handle Indonesia's sovereign wealth funds called the INA. Many projects are prepared and are very prospective because they will provide good returns," Thohir noted in a statement received in Jakarta, Saturday.

While striving to control the COVID-19 pandemic, Erick expounded that the government had unswervingly striven to drive the economy. In the next three years, State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) will have 88 large projects or investments to be carried out.

To this end, the minister has invited Singapore to collaborate to revive the economy. Singapore can get involved because the government is open to cooperation with countries and entrepreneurs from abroad.A total of 13 meetings were held by Thohir on Friday (Feb 19). Apart from meeting three Singaporean officials, Minister of Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister of Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing, and Chairman of the Economic Development Board Beh Swan Gin, Thohir, who was accompanied by Deputy Minister of BUMN Kartika Wirjoatmodjo and Director of Bank BNI Silvano Rumantir, met with Singaporean businessmen, such as the CEO of Changi Airport, CEO of Singapore Airlines, CEO of Singtel, and CEO of the Central Provident Fund Board.

The BUMN minister highlighted to high-ranking Singaporean officials the energy, tourism, and financial sectors as the three areas for cooperation. The minister expressed optimism that this offer would be considered and further discussions would ensue for its implementation.

On a separate occasion, Singaporean officials lauded Indonesia in its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Indonesia’s initiative to procure the COVID-19 vaccine at the earliest is considered to be the right step.

“It is nice to meet my friend, State-Owned Enterprises Minister Erick Thohir, in Singapore today. Mr. Erick has a wide and heavy portfolio, and I am delighted that he can visit Singapore and discuss mutually beneficial cooperation,” Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian said in his note on Facebook.Singapore welcomes the offers for boosting cooperation in the economic field. Cooperation in the three fields conveyed by the BUMN minister is not only possible but can also provide benefits for stepping up bilateral economic cooperation.

“Mr. Erick and I reaffirm our strong bilateral relationship, including in the economic field. I am pleased that in the midst of the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, both parties continue to create opportunities for businesses in the two countries to make new breakthroughs together and advance cooperation between Indonesia and Singapore,” Foreign Minister Balakrishnan stated//ANT

Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto led the meeting on the implementation of micro-scale social restriction with leaders of 123 districts/muncipalities in Jakarta on Feb 16, 2021. ANTARA/HO-Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs/pri.

The government has extended the implementation of micro-scale public activity restriction (PPKM) in Java and Bali to the period of Feb 23-Mar 8, COVID-19 Handling and National Economic Recovery Committee (KPC-PEN) Chief Airlangga Hartarto stated.

"We announce the extension of PPKM, as it could address various criteria in curbing COVID-19 cases," Hartarto noted during a virtual press conference here on Saturday.

Within a week of having imposed micro-scale PPKM, the number of active COVID-19 cases significantly reduced by 17.27 percent nationwide.

A declining trend was also recorded in the five provinces of Jakarta, Banten, West Java, Yogyakarta, and East Java.

"The bed occupancy ratio (BOR) trend has also declined, with all provinces having recorded a BOR trend of up to 70 percent," he pointed out.The recovery rate rose in the five provinces of Jakarta, Banten, West Java, Yogyakarta, and East Java, while the mortality rate declined in three provinces: Jakarta, West Java, and Bali.

Adherence to health protocols in all provinces increased, from 87.64 to 88.73 percent.

"In general, the implementation of social restrictions and micro-scale social restrictions curbed the number of active (COVID-19) cases, and it also showed a significant decline," Hartarto stated.

The government had earlier imposed PPKM on January 11-25 and extended it to February 8 in Java and Bali regions. It then imposed the micro-scale PPKM on February 9-22//ANT