"As of this week, some 12,000 of the 24,000 verified microbusiness owners have received the productive aid funds. Each of them received Rp2.4 million," head of the Ambon city administration's SME and Cooperative Units, Marthen Kailuhu, said.
Kailuhu said his office had proposed the names of 30,013 cooperative units and four microbusinesses for the productive aid.
The eligible microbusiness owners have received the productive aid funds through government-appointed banks, he informed.
The coronavirus pandemic has had a tremendous impact on public health and economy in Indonesia.
However, President Joko Widodo said he is convinced that the current public health and economic crises are an opportunity for Indonesia to push the reset button and make a quantum leap through big vision, big transformation, and big action.
Indonesia has been making favorable progress in handling the twin crises, President Jokowi said at the World Economic Forum Special Virtual Meeting on Indonesia on November 25, 2020.
In the health sector, Indonesia is striving to halt the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak by increasing the recovery rate; reducing the mortality rate; and, accelerating the preparation for conducting a mass vaccination program, he said.
Meanwhile, in the economic sector, Indonesia is striving to minimize the socio-economic risks on account of COVID-19 by launching a variety of social safety net programs for poor and vulnerable groups, he added.
The social safety net and economic recovery programs launched by the government include the Family Hope Program (PKH), Non-Cash Food Assistance Program (BPNT), Staple Food Aid Program (Sembako), Cash Social Transfer Program (Bansos), Pre-employment Card Program (KPK), Direct Cash Assistance of the Village Funds (BLT Dana Desa), Presidential Assistance for Productive Microbusinesses, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), wage subsidy, and discounts on electricity bills.
Indonesia is not just striving to respond to and manage the crises. "Instead, we are also making the condition be a momentum to hack the crises," Widodo remarked.
ANTARA has reported that Indonesia's economic contraction reduced from -5.32 percent in the second quarter to -3.49 percent in the third quarter.
COVID-19 initially emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan at the end of 2019 and spread across the world, including to countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
Indonesia announced its first confirmed cases on March 2 this year.
The Indonesian government has consistently expressed confidence in the potential of COVID-19 vaccines for helping win the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. (INE)
Related news: New digital-based MSMEs to become source of economic growth: Governor
Related news: Gojek's services generate positive margins, Co-CEOs say
EDITED BY INE
Translator: Penina FM, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2020
