"The president has applauded our initiative to impose the (fine) sanction. Currently, the president is readying an Inpres, or presidential instruction, to serve as a legal basis for the (imposition of) a sanction," Kamil remarked at the Bogor Presidential Palace in Bogor, West Java, on Wednesday.
Kamil, or popularly called Kang Emil, made the statement after a meeting with Jokowi and other governors to discuss the acceleration of absorption of the regional budget (APBD) 2020.
"I was asked about the amount of the fine. I said some Rp100 thousand to Rp150 thousand. This will be supported by the Inpres that is expected to be issued this week," he revealed.
Starting from July 27, West Java will impose the fine on those not wearing masks. For enforcing the rule, the provincial government will involve the municipal police (Satpol PP), police, and military.
Exception to the rule is while speaking at public forums, eating, conducting high-intensity cardio sports, and during brief photo sessions. An offender ticket will be issued through the e-ticket application, and the fine will be transferred to the provincial government's account.
Emil claimed that the spread of the coronavirus disease had been brought under control in West Java.
"It has been under control, but some locations, including boarding education institutions, need to be monitored cautiously," he emphasized.
Last week, spokesperson of the West Java COVID-19 task force Berli Hamdani informed journalists that hundreds of students of Secapa in the provincial capital of Bandung had tested positive for the coronavirus disease during swab testing at the facility. He then declared the military academy as a new COVID-19 cluster in the province.
"I have reported about the situation to the president. Apart from that, the situation in West Java is good, measured by a positivity rate of below five percent. Of the total PCR swab tests conducted (in the province), the positivity rate was only four percent. However, in other provinces, the figure has reached 30 percent, 12 percent, 10 percent," he stated.
The hospital occupancy rate for COVID-19 patients in the province has declined to merely 25 percent.
As of Tuesday, the number of confirmed cases in West Java had reached 5,235, with 1,924 recoveries and 186 deaths. Related news: COVID-19 Task Force draws Colombia's praises for assisting citizen
Related news: KKP encourages speedier budget absorption to support economic recovery
Translator: Desca LN, Sri Haryati
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2020
