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President Joko Widodo  (Jokowi) observed the Rogojampi public service market, Banyuwangi District, East Java, Thursday. (25/6/2020) (ANTARA/Indra Arief)

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) visited the Rogojampi public service market, Banyuwangi District, East Java, Thursday, after inspecting the steps taken to handle the COVID-19 pandemic in Surabaya.

Banyuwangi District Head Abdullah Azwar Annas welcomed the president, who arrived at the Banyuwangi International Airport at 14:00 WIB local time, in the company of Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Wishnutama Kusubandio, Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung, and other related officials.

The president and his entourage headed to the Rogojampi Public Service Market from Banyuwangi Airport.

The head of state visited the two-story market while highlighting health protocols, such as wearing masks and face shields.

East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa and Chairman of the Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling COVID-19 Doni Monardo were also present.

After a visit to Rogojampi, the head of state will also reportedly inspect tourist sites in the So Long Banyuwangi area to observe the readiness to imbibe new habits in the tourist destination

In Surabaya, President Jokowi reminded all people to harbor a common perception that all were currently reeling from a health and economic crisis.

Speaking in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic in East Java, the president urged the East Java government to work towards reducing the number of positive cases within a two-week period.

"Within two weeks, the COVID-19 handling efforts from all organizational units should be integrated," Jokowi stated.

The number of COVID-19 cases in East Java, based on data from the Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling COVID-19, as of Wednesday (June 24) reached 10,298, while 750 succumbed to the coronavirus infection in East Java. (ANTARA)

The Government Investment Center of the Ministry of Finance and PT Pegadaian signed a cooperation document for an Rp400-billion ultra micro financing scheme (UMi) in Jakarta on Thursday (June 25, 2020). (ANTARA/Finance Ministry Information Services and Communication Bureau)

The Government Investment Center of the Ministry of Finance has launched a Rp400-billion ultra micro financing scheme (UMi) to help sustain Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The scheme will be carried out in cooperation with PT Pegadaian, which will extend the UMi facility to micro businesses.

The distribution of ultra microcredit would serve to demonstrate the government’s commitment and its role in supporting the National Economic Recovery Program, said Ririn Kadariyah, managing director of the Government Investment Center, Ministry of Finance, on Thursday in Jakarta.

"We have gone all out as a Public Service Agency (BLU) and State-Owned Enterprise, which are micro-business actors, (to) collaborate and support the National Economic Recovery Program," Kadariyah said after signing the collaboration document with the president director of Pegadaian.

She said the distribution of Rp400 billion in UMi funding will be carried out by Pegadaian to support micro businesses, which are yet to have full access to the banking sector, with a grace period of six months offered for loans.

"Of the Rp400 billion, Rp100 billion will be in the form of sharia financing, which is the first handover from the Government Investment Center to Pegadaian. I really appreciate Pegadaian's cooperation in this program," she said.

The policy of supporting MSMEs is deemed a strategic step as the sector has been one of the most affected by COVID-19 and contributes significantly to the national economy — around 57 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The government has formulated several policies to help support MSMEs amid the COVID-19 pandemic, including provision of tax incentives, credit restructuring and relaxation, interest subsidies, and business capital credit assistance.

Meanwhile, president director of PT Pegadaian, Kuswiyoto, said he is committed to reviving micro businesses affected by COVID-19 through the distribution of UMi alongside other parties, including PT PNM and PT Bahana Artha Ventura.

"Pegadaian is carrying out the Government Investment Center program through its UMi Creation program to provide loan facilities to micro businesses that have difficulty accessing financing from banks," he elaborated.

Pegadaian also plans to start other financing schemes for MSMEs in 2020, including distribution of UMi through KCA-UMi pawn products under conventional schemes and Rahn-UMi under Sharia schemes, he added.

As of June 24 this year, Pegadaian has provided Rp618.36 billion in UMi to more than 93,604 debtors, he stated. Through funding of Rp400 billion under the first phase, in the remaining months of 2020, the company is expected to be able to pursue a distribution target of Rp1.2 trillion by the end of the year.

Pegadaian, a non-banking financial institution that provides UMi financing, has a significantly wide network of 4,000 operational outlets and a customer base of 14 million across Indonesia. (ANTARA)

President Joko Widodo waved out while seated in a presidential car in Surabaya, East Java, Thursday (25/6/2020). ANTARA/Zabur Karuru/ac.

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) called on the health minister and Task Force for the Acceleration of COVID-19 Handling to send plenteous masks to the Eastern part of Java to curtail the transmission of the virus.

"I urge the task force and the health minister to immediately send masks to Surabaya and the East Java area," the head of state remarked in between his work visit undertaken to observe the COVID-19 handling efforts in Surabaya, East Java, on Thursday.

President Jokowi received a report from the East Java COVID-19 Task Force that said 70 percent of citizens in the area had yet to wear masks.

To this end, the Indonesian leader has invited religious and public figures to constantly remind the people of the criticality of following health protocols, especially in terms of wearing masks.

"Do not ever tire out in raising awareness on health protocols. Wear masks, maintain the safe requisite distance, and implement other health protocols," Jokowi noted.

Furthermore, the president appealed to governors, mayors, and district heads to issue policies based on scientific data as the key precondition.

"Do not create policies without taking into account the data and direction of relevant experts, as it can become quite risky," he stated.

Jokowi also urged to ready several policy alternatives to ensure that full preparations were made to face any untoward incident while making calculations and taking precautionary measures against them.

Furthermore, the president remarked that if the situation were to come under control and enter a new normal era, then a pre-condition stage is a must.

"Find the right time to start, such as which district or city to serve as an example, as well as determine sector-wise priorities. The low-risk sector takes precedence, medium risk is second priority, and high risk is number three," he explained. (ANTARA)

President Joko Widodo during his working visit to monitor the acceleration of COVID-19 handling at the Grahadi Building in Surabaya, Thursday. (25/06/2020). (FOTO ANTARA/HO-Bureau of Press of East Java Govement)

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) threw his weight behind adopting an integrated approach to handle the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic to reduce the number of cases of those infected with the virus.

"An integrated approach should be followed to control the COVID-19 pandemic in East Java. I give a two-week time period to control the COVID-19 pandemic in an integrated manner," President Jokowi noted during his working visit to monitor the acceleration in handling the COVID-19 pandemic at the Grahadi Building in Surabaya, East Java, Thursday.

The head of state remarked that all organizational units in East Java, including the task force for COVID-19 handling in provinces, districts, cities, and villages, must continue to coordinate while working jointly to conduct measurable crisis management.

The president also pointed out that the highest number of cases were recorded in the Greater Surabaya area that included Surabaya City and the districts of Sidoarjo and Gresik. The spread of COVID-19 in those areas should firstly be brought under control.

"A unified management approach should be adopted to handle the COVID-19 pandemic in Surabaya, Gresik, and Sidoarjo," he stated.

Based on data from the Task Force for the Acceleration of COVID-19 handling in East Java until Wednesday (June 24), the number of positive confirmed cases in Surabaya City had totaled 4,962, while 1,838 patients made a recovery, and 369 people succumbed to the disease.

Sidoarjo District recorded 1,287 positive cases, while 207 patients recovered, and 97 died of the disease, followed by Gresik District, with 534 positive cases, 77 patients recovering, and 55 people dying of the disease.

"Once again, I am upbeat about the number of COVID-19 cases in East Java declining in two weeks. As a result, people can transition to a new normal," the president emphasized.

Meanwhile, East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa remains committed to making all-out efforts with task forces and volunteers to bring the COVID-19 pandemic under control, so that the number of cases does not increase.

"The two-week target set by the president is within reach, so that the number of positive cases decreases, the number of patient recoveries increases, and the number of deaths decline," Parawansa added. (ANTARA)