Airlangga Disagrees With PSBB Anies, Observer: Impressed Seeking Excuses For Not Performing Performance

JAKARTA - The Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto is considered to have failed to understand President Joko Widodo's instructions. According to the Executive Director of the Indonesia Political Opinion, Dedi Kurnia Syah, the failure to understand this instruction was evident because Airlangga did not agree with the DKI Jakarta Governor's policy to reimpose Large-Scale Social Restrictions (PSBB) strictly.

"Airlangga failed to understand the president's instructions to prioritize health and PSBB is the orientation of course health," said Dedi when contacted by VOI, Friday, September 11.

Moreover, it is Anies' authority to determine the implementation of this PSBB without having to wait for central directives. So, it is not wrong when the former Minister of Education and Culture (Mendikbud) decided that the PSBB would be held again on Monday, September 14.

Furthermore, Dedi assessed that this chaos was actually proof that the government had failed to stop the pace of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to him, instead of blaming Anies for the PSBB that would have an impact on the Indonesian economy, Airlangga should suppress the work of the minister in the economic sector for whom he is responsible.

"Do not let the impression that it is just looking for an excuse for the coordinator's non-performing performance," he said.

This political observer also assessed that it was time for Jokowi to evaluate the performance of his minister after there was a disagreement about the PSBB. Including evaluating the Coordinating Ministry for the Economy.

"Moreover, the potential program at the Coordinating Minister for the pandemic is also experiencing problems. One of them is of course the national economy which tends to decline," he said.

Previously reported, DKI Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan decided to pull the emergency brake amid the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus in the country. The Large-Scale Social Restriction Regulations (PSBB) such as in the early March pandemic were re-implemented.

This means that with this policy, Jakarta will re-tighten restrictions on activities that were relaxed during the transition to PSBB. All sectors that were permitted under the provision of reduced capacity and other health protocols must be closed again.

However, instead of agreeing, Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto said the PSBB announced by DKI Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan actually caused negative sentiment towards the capital market.

Airlangga assessed that Anies' decision had affected the stock index, which had started moving in a positive direction.

"Because today the index (IHSG) is still uncertain because of the Jakarta Governor's announcement last night. So that the index this morning was below Rp. 5,000," he said, during the National Chamber of Commerce meeting of Indonesia in Jakarta, Thursday, September 10.

JCI in trading on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) fell sharply. This morning, at 10:36 am IHSG fell sharply by 5 percent at the level of 4,892.87 or down 257.49 points.

Airlangga said Anies's decision to pull the emergency brake had a huge impact on the economy. This is because, he said, economic performance is not only affected by fundamental conditions, but also public and public trust.

"However, we have to look at the gas and brakes. If the gas or brake is sudden, we certainly have to maintain public confidence. Because the economy is not only fundamental, but also sentiment, especially for the capital market sector," he said.

In addition, the General Chair of the Golkar Party also said that the government's health capacity is unlimited and is available to the public. According to him, the government will continue to add health facilities. However, he did not disclose the data he had.

He only said that the government would use 2 and 3 star hotels as treatment rooms if the capacity at the hospital was no longer sufficient to accommodate COVID-19 positive patients.

In addition, he believes that the Athlete House which has been used to treat positive COVID-19 patients also still has sufficient space. According to him, the building will be maximized.