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INDONESIA’S Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy in coordination with relevant ministries/agencies will speed up the distribution process and tourism grants which are one of the mitigation efforts for the tourism sector and creative economy players affected by COVID-19.
According to the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno in an online ‘Weekly Press Briefing’, Monday (7/5), said that with the Imposition of Emergency Community Activity Restrictions (PPKM) in Java and Bali, the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy took a decision to accelerate.
“Now the ball is rolling, the ministry/institution partners are currently processing it. We hope that it will be completed soon. We are accelerating this, and finalizing it until it can be received in the middle or late third quarter. But with the emergency PPKM, we take decision to accelerate,” said Minister Sandiaga.
Sandiaga hopes that the validation process can be completed this month. This is because the verification mechanism process will take time.
“The mechanism, the verification is expected to be realized immediately for the recipients. Learn from last year, because last year we waited until the end of the year which finally around 30% was not realized. We don’t want that to happen. Because right now people need it the most, so we can touch it with tourism grants and social assistance programs,” he stated.
In addition to tourism grants, the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy has also prepared other assistance for tourism actors and the creative economy. Namely government incentive assistance, social assistance to be distributed by the Ministry of Social Affairs, as well as other liquidity assistance.
“This social assistance is directed by the president, that within this week it must be realized immediately and of course immediately transferred to the account that has been prepared, and this is also an expansion of the social assistance program that has been implemented,” Sandiaga admitted.
However, when he asked about the implementation of vaccination, Sandiaga explained that the government is trying its best to distribute vaccines to all Indonesian people in order to create herd immunity. For this reason, the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy is also working to accelerate the implementation of vaccinations.
“One of them is making tourism polytechnic students agents of acceleration of vaccination. Later, tourism polytechnic students who are able to collect the highest number of vaccine recipients will be awarded a scholarship,” he remarked.
He added, so it will be given to students who are able to invite residents to do the most vaccinations, we will give scholarship prizes, this will start at the Bandung Tourism Polytechnic.
Minister Sandiaga explained that the existence of an emergency PPKM would not stop the recovery of tourism and the creative economy, especially in Bali, Batam and Bintan. I will continue to prepare for the opening of Bali for foreign tourists.
“We comply by putting the brakes on all mobility, we work from home (WFH) 100%. Then for the Work From Bali activity, the vaccine tourism activity in Bali is temporarily postponed and what has not been postponed is the preparation. Preparation for the opening of Bali by remote working. We will continue to do things that can be done online to prepare for the opening of Bali,” he concluded. [traveltext.id]
