"Some 24 million 450-VA household customers will not be charged electricity tariff for the subsequent three months," Jokowi remarked during a videoconference from the Bogor Presidential Palace in Bogor, West Java, on Tuesday.
Jokowi revealed that the government will offer a 50-percent discount in the electricity bills for 900-VA customers for April, May, and June.
"For 900-VA customers that could total seven million, we will offer a 50-percent discount or they can pay the half price for the April, May, and June bills," Jokowi noted.
The decision to slash the electricity costs is part of the government's six-point policy to help people from the low-income bracket amid economic pressures from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Earlier, on Monday (March 30), Jokowi had echoed the government’s decision to offer economic stimulus to micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic to help their businesses stay afloat in this challenging scenario.
The government will immediately prepare an economic stimulus for MSMEs and informal businesses, Jokowi revealed.
"For MSMEs, self-employed people, and informal workers, we have already discussed that the government will immediately prepare social safety net programs and economic stimulus," the president noted.
As of Tuesday, the number of COVID-19 cases in Indonesia had reached 1,528, with 81 patients having recovered and 136 having died of the disease. Related news: Government to offer economic stimulus to MSMEs affected by COVID-19
Related news: Third stimulus package to focus on health sector, says minister
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Translator: Indra Arief P, Sri Haryati
Editor: Suharto
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