The government will subsidize (them)Yogyakarta (ANTARA) - Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi divulged that the government will offer direct subsidy to domestic airlines whose businesses were impacted by the coronavirus outbreak.
"The government will subsidize (them). Mrs. Sri Mulyani (the minister of finance) has agreed, and it will be announced later that the government will offer subsidies, perhaps directly to the airline operators, maybe (those serving flight routes) to tourist destinations," Sumadi remarked here on Monday.
The minister called on airports and airlines to offer discounts to passengers in a bid to drive domestic tourism.
"This will help to ensure that our enthusiasm to fill the gaps left by Chinese tourists is materialized," he stated.
He admitted that qualitatively, temporary suspension of all flights to and from China had a negative impact on the aviation industry in Indonesia.
However, he believed that the issue would soon be resolved, with direct subsidies from the government expected to be effective within a day or two.
Earlier, on Feb 5, 2020, the government suspended indefinitely all flights to China, excluding Hong Kong and Macau, over the coronavirus outbreak.
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Translator: Luqman Hakim, Fardah
Editor: Sri Haryati
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