It is all done, including the budgeting. Hence, the budgeting returns as it would normally
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The COVID-19 Task Force is automatically disbanded after President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) announced that the COVID-19 pandemic status has been revoked, Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Cultural Affairs Muhadjir Effendy stated.

"Automatically disbanded already. Ever since Mr President declared (the change of the pandemic status), it is all disbanded," the minister noted in a press conference on the Eid al-Adha leave at the ministry's office here on Thursday.

Effendy explained that the revocation of pandemic status meant that all aspects related to pandemic handling had been concluded, including its funding across several sectors.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, some ministries and institutions were refocusing their budget to handle the disease, but now, the budgeting has returned to normal.

"It is all done, including the budgeting. Hence, the budgeting returns as it would normally. Some time ago, maybe there was a refocusing to handle COVID-19 and all its impacts, including the economy," Minister Effendy stated.

The COVID-19 Handling and National Economic Recovery Committee too has been disbanded, he noted. The budget channeled to the committee is given back to the state budget, Effendy remarked.

President Jokowi officially revoked the COVID-19 pandemic status in Indonesia, declaring that it is the endemic period.

"After three years and more of fighting together against the COVID-19 pandemic, starting from today, Wednesday, June 21, 2023, the government decided to revoke the pandemic status, and we have entered into the endemic time," the president remarked.

He said that the decision was taken after considering the rate of daily COVID-19 cases that is nearing zero.

He cited the sero survey indicating that 99 percent of Indonesians have COVID-19 antibodies. Jokowi also noted that the World Health Organization had revoked the COVID-19 status as public health emergency of international concern.

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Translator: Asep Firmansyah, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Sri Haryati
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