"This is increasingly important when we are facing the COVID-19 pandemic," Maharani remarked during a Joint Session of the House of Representatives (DPR) and the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) at the Parliament Complex, Jakarta, Friday.
The speaker called on all parties to support efforts and policies to save the people.
In her speech, Maharani reminded that the nation is currently struggling to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic that has had a wide-ranging impact on all aspects of people's lives and state administration.
The pandemic poses a grave threat to public safety and welfare as well as the country's economy and households.
The DPR speaker noted that until August 13, 2020, a total of 127,083 cases of COVID-19 were recorded in 34 provinces and 480 regencies/cities, with 82,236 recoveries and 5,765 deaths.
All economic sectors experienced a contraction in the second quarter of this year, with the Indonesian economy contracting 5.32 percent yoy.
"All sectors and fields of businesses have been disrupted, (thereby) resulting in reduced income, increased unemployment, increased poverty, and decreased welfare of the people at large," Maharani noted.
In facing such extraordinary non-natural disaster, Maharani deemed the state’s involvement necessary to save the people from the threat of the health, economic, and welfare crises by making extraordinary efforts, through a series of policies and programs to overcome COVID-19 and its impact.
"This is also necessary to improve capabilities in the health sector, expand social protection, implement large-scale social restrictions, and accelerate economic recovery," the Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician emphasized.
On the other hand, Maharani stated that the people also sought optimal government performance through quick and integrated acts in implementing various programs to protect and help the people in addition to restoring the social and economic sectors in Indonesia.
In accordance with Law Number 2 of 2020 on State Financial Policy and Financial System Stability for Handling the COVID-19 Pandemic and in the context of facing threats that endanger the national economy or financial system stability, the government is offering adequate space for authority to implement the fiscal policy, state financial policies, and financial system stability policies to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts.
Maharani noted that the government was expected to implement various effective measures, through policies, cross-sector coordination, fiscal and monetary instruments, and consolidating all existing potentials and resources, to help the social and economic sectors recover quickly.
"We should laud the joint work and mutual cooperation of all components of the nation, including the central government, local governments, doctors, health workers, the COVID-19 task force, the TNI, Polri, state-owned enterprises, private sector, volunteers, and all elements of society, in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. This spirit of mutual cooperation has, so far, enabled us to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic," she stated.
Maharani stated that new structures, habits, and behaviors to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the recovery of the national economy are expected to offer a ray of hope to all Indonesians. Related news: COVID-19 vaccine candidate clinical trial prioritizes efficacy, safety
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Translator: Yashinta Difa Pramudyani
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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