Roads Are Congested, Jokowi: This Shows Economic Movement

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo highlighted the condition of roads in various regions, especially cities in Indonesia, which returned to traffic jams in line with the COVID-19 pandemic which began to improve.

He said this after providing social assistance to market traders at Kanoman Market, Cirebon City, West Java.

"Extraordinary traffic jams are happening in almost all cities," said Jokowi as seen on the Presidential Secretariat's Youtube video, Wednesday, April 13.

Jokowi did not complain about the traffic jam conditions, which were already normal conditions before the pandemic. The former governor of DKI Jakarta explained that the congestion showed that the economy was moving.

"This shows higher mobility, but also shows that there is economic movement, economic turnover, especially tourism," said Jokowi.

In addition, Jokowi also sees buying and selling activities in traditional markets getting busier during the current month of Ramadan. He predicts this crowd will increase ahead of Eid al-Fitr.

Therefore, Jokowi views working capital assistance (BMK) for business actors and direct cash assistance (BLT) for cooking oil to the participants of the Family Hope Program (PKH) can help the community to improve their economy.

"If we look at the markets, they are starting to get crowded, very crowded. And this is also before the Eid al-Fitr, so there is an increase in purchasing power, so that business capital for traders is needed because sometimes they need additional goods to multiply the existing goods," said Jokowi.