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THE Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno, met with the Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, discussing plans for the revival of the tourism sector and the creative economy in the 2021 National Economic Recovery (PEN) grand scheme.
“Today we are given a commitment that we must revive the tourism sector and the creative economy with programs that are data-based, measurable, on target, and also with the right benefits,” said Sandiaga Uno after his meeting with Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto, at the Coordinating Ministry for the Economy recently.
He explained that some of the programs that became the focus of discussion were plans to continue and expand tourism grant funding. In 2020, tourism grants which are part of the National Economic Recovery (PEN) program are recorded at IDR3.3 trillion.
“This program is primarily aimed at helping local governments and the hotel and restaurant industry which are experiencing financial difficulties. In addition, the realization of the recovery program due to the pandemic was 69.47% or IDR2.26 trillion,” Sandiaga noted.
Sandiaga concluded that it is hoped that this budget distribution can be continued this year and expanded. Among them are tourism businesses that pay entertainment taxes, travel agents, and others. Guidance from the Coordinating Minister if possible in the first quarter there will be improvements.
Meawhile Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto said tourism was the sector most affected and recovered the most recently. Therefore, in the first quarter of 2021 there must be improvements so that they can encourage and support the Indonesian economy.
“The Indonesian economy is targeted to grow positively this year, and we are trying to do it in the first quarter to grow positively and the tourism sector can push up,” Airlangga stated.
Meanwhile, the Deputy for Industry and Investment at the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, Fadjar Hutomo, said that currently the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy is strengthening data on industrial targets as well as tourism business actors and the creative economy.
“We will do our best, because in the end accountability must also be maintained. We have obtained the (Tourism Grants) model in 2020 which can be replicated for hotels and restaurants as well as to expand reach,” Fadjar Hutomo affirmed.
He added that regarding the IDR9 trillion soft loan stimulus program previously proposed by the Bali Provincial Government to the central government, it was stated that there was already a distribution mechanism that would be carried out through PT SMI, one of the SMVs under the Ministry of Finance which is engaged in financing and preparing infrastructure projects. The distribution mechanism available is through PT SMI. [traveltext.id]
