No single country can fight this pandemic alone, so strong cooperation is needed, including between countriesJakarta (ANTARA) - Solid cooperation between countries is essential for battling the coronavirus pandemic, Minister of Communication and Informatics Johnny G. Plate has said.
"The COVID-19 pandemic situation is an uncertain and difficult situation for everyone in the world. No single country can fight this pandemic alone, so strong cooperation is needed, including between countries," the minister remarked while receiving Indian Ambassador to Indonesia, Shri Manoj Kumar Bharti, at his official residence here on Thursday.
The government appreciates any aid received from abroad as a tangible form of solidarity, he said adding, Indonesia has close relations with several countries.
During the meeting, the minister highlighted the two focus areas of the government for dealing with the pandemic — the economic and health sectors.
In the economic sector, the Proud of Made-in Indonesia Products Movement is one of the steps that have been taken to accelerate national economic recovery, he said.
"We continue to encourage the strengthening and benefits of the digital economy because currently, the backbone of the Indonesian economy is MSMEs and Ultra Micro (Enterprises) that contribute 61.07 percent to Indonesia's GDP," he added.
The government has also permitted restaurants and shopping centers to reopen while following the rules for implementing restrictions on public activities, Plate said.
The government continues to strive to implement comprehensive policies to support national economic recovery, one of which is by making innovations in the technology sector and preparing digital talents to support the improvement of the digital economy, he added.
To secure public health, he said, the government is following a policy of implementing Public Activity Restrictions (PPKM) by taking into account the situation and conditions in each region.
"This (PPKM) aims to reduce the trend of spikes in new cases of the COVID-19 delta variant," the minister explained.
Community compliance and discipline are the primary keys to reduce the level of accurate PPKM assessments, Plate said. According to data provided on the website covid19.go.id page, Indonesia's positivity rate stood below 5 percent as of September 14, 2021.
"For this achievement, the government appreciates the efforts and hard work of all parties. However, I still urge all elements of the nation to remain disciplined, not be careless and complacent in the euphoria of decreasing positive cases of COVID-19," Plate said.
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Translator: Natisha A, Raka Adji
Editor: Sri Haryati
Copyright © ANTARA 2021
