Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry has prepared a budget of Rp298 billion, which has been approved by the Finance Ministry, to arrange accommodation facilities for health workers.

"The program will be conducted in coordination with hospitals, hotel industry, related ministries as well as local governments in seven main locations of the handling of COVID-19," Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno stated at an online press briefing here on Monday.

Earlier, officials had informed that the ministry had received requests from 71 hospitals to provide 465,659 rooms to accommodate 9,766 health workers.

Under the program, which will run until the end of November this year, health workers will also be provided food, drink, laundry, and transportation services, Uno said.

Currently, the ministry is collecting data on the number of health workers requiring accommodation, considering the dynamic nature of COVID-19 transmission, he added.

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Meanwhile, regarding the distribution of aid under the National Economic Recovery (PEN) programs, Uno said the disbursal is still in progress and is expected to be completed soon.

The programs comprise Government Assistance for Tourism Business (BPUP), PEN programs for the film industry, as well as Proud of Indonesian Products National Movement PEN programs.

“Regarding the BPUP, the simulation of a BPUP registration app has been carried out and the results are currently being evaluated," the minister said.

In addition, he informed that the Government Incentive Assistance Program (BIP) for the Business Safety Network will cover 800 recipients whose determination is being created, so disbursal is expected to start in the near future.

Furthermore, the regular BIP program is still in the curation process therefore, assistance will be distributed in 2022, he added.

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Translator: Baqir Alatas, Uyu Liman
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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