The PPKM have been enforced in Java and Bali from July 3 - July 20, 2021.
"Emergency PPKM can bring more harm to the public on health and economic aspects, if it is executed without strict supervision," deputy chair of Commission II of the DPR, Luqman Hakim, said here on Thursday.
If the government doubts its ability to properly supervise PPKM execution, it should not extend their enforcement period in Java and Bali and seek other alternative policies to control the spread of COVID-19, Hakim added.
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He also asked the government to evaluate the current execution of the emergency PPKM objectively.
"From my observation on July 7-11, 2021 and July 13, emergency PPKM implementation is suboptimal in many places. Public transportation control was only executed on Sunday (July 11), while on other days, (movements of) vehicles were not restricted anymore," Hakim pointed out.
Department stores continued to operate normally though they have not been listed under essential sectors such as those supplying food or providing healthcare equipment, he said.
Though emergency PPKM regulations prohibit consumption of foods in restaurants/food stalls, the public is not abiding by them, creating an impression that no surveillance is being conducted by local authorities, he added.
"I see it all. (I see it) on July 13, 2021 in Depok City and Bogor District, (I also) see the similar situation (in terms of PPKM regulation enforcement) on July 7-11 in places in Central Java," he said.
The PPKM did reduce public mobility, but this has been inadequate in light of the current COVID-19 infection rate, he added.
Hakim said the implementation of the PPKM is lacking in many places and attributed this to high levels of public fatigue due to the prolonged pandemic, which has stretched for 1.5 years, and lack of firmness on part of the local government in enforcing the regulations and its failure to clearly explain the social benefits of the PPKM among affected citizens.
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Translator: Imam B, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Suharto
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