As of today more than 12 million, if not 13 million, doses (of the vaccine) have been administered and Indonesia features in the top ten countries having many citizens vaccinated
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia has so far administered 12-13 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, which puts it in the top ten countries in terms of the vaccination rate, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati has said.

"As of today more than 12 million, if not 13 million, doses (of the vaccine) have been administered and Indonesia features in the top ten countries having many citizens vaccinated," she disclosed at a get-together on accelerating national economic recovery in Jakarta on Friday.

The national vaccination program is a game-changer that can help restore the national economy, and it has managed to raise public confidence to resume activities, she said.

But, the vaccination program is inseparable from unpredictable dynamics, including the late delivery of AstraZeneca vaccines, she pointed out.

"We originally had four brands of vaccines, but later, the delivery of AstraZeneca vaccines was somewhat late. It continues to experience dynamics that cannot be predicted precisely,” she said.

For its part, the government will push other efforts to accelerate the procurement of vaccines amidst the changing dynamics, she added.

The government will continue to make structural reforms to help the business world withstand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, she assured. This way both demand and supply will be able to recover soon, she explained.

The structural reforms include the revision of Law No. 2/2020 to make the state budget flexible, she said. As such, the government can set aside a budget spending of up to Rp2,750 trillion this year, of which Rp699.43 trillion has been allocated for the national economic recovery program, she added.

The program focuses on five sectors, including social protection for which a budget of Rp157.41 trillion has been allocated, health (Rp176.3 trillion), business incentives (Rp58.46 trillion), support for micro small and medium enterprises and cooperatives (Rp184.83 trillion), and priority programs (Rp122.44 trillion).

Structural reforms have also been introduced through the enactment of the job creation law, which requires ministries/institutions to apply it through an action, including the creation of the investment management institution (LPI), the minister said.

"We must keep the businesses able to withstand (the impact of the pandemic) so we have launched structural reforms. That is the government's focus, so we must work together in terms of demand and supply," she remarked.

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Translator: Astrid FH/Suharto
Editor: Gusti Nur Cahya Aryani
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