PHRI: 750 Restaurants Will Be Permanently Closed During The Jakarta Weekend Lockdown

JAKARTA - The Association of Indonesian Hotels and Restaurants (PHRI) has rejected the weekend lockdown proposal which has recently been made public. The policy is considered to be able to increase the business burden for hotels and restaurants. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has collapsed thousands of hotels and restaurants

Chairman of the PHRI Regional Leadership Body, Sutrisno Iwantoro, said that if the proposal for the weekend lockdown that was originally proposed by council members was still enforced, hundreds of restaurants would be out of business.

Because entrepreneurs who are choked by the pandemic are unable to survive. Moreover, coupled with all the restrictions on community activities that were imposed previously.

"If the option (weekend lockdown) runs, we can be sure that restaurant closures will permanently reach around 750. Permanent business closures mean that the unemployment rate will increase," Sutrinso said in a virtual press conference, Friday, February 5.

The central PHRI according to Sutrisno has conducted a survey in September 2020 of more than 9,000 restaurants throughout Indonesia, with 4,469 respondents. As a result, it was found that around 1,033 restaurants were permanently closed. In fact, since October 2020 until now, it can be estimated that around 125 to 150 restaurants are closed per month.

The discourse on lockdown this weekend, said Sutrisno, will greatly impact the company's cash flow in the midst of its efforts to survive and rise in this era of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Not only that, according to him, currently there have been many reservations for small-scale meetings and weddings in hotels and restaurants. However, the discourse of a lockdown at the weekend will certainly have an impact on payment cancellations and refunds.

Sutrisno assessed that this policy will put hotels and restaurants in a very bad situation. Especially for hotels, guests must also check out earlier than they should, because they cannot leave the hotel area when the lockdown is running.

Therefore, the businessman asked the government, especially the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government, not to carry out a policy that was a surprise. This is because the shock policy makes it difficult for entrepreneurs to respond to this.

Sutrisno also asked the government to hold a dialogue if it was going to issue a policy. Moreover, this sector was hit the earliest due to the pandemic and is estimated to be the last to recover.

"We ask the government, especially the DKI Regional Government before issuing a policy, to hold a dialogue first with business actors in general. Especially if our sector is hotels and restaurants because hotel and restaurant sectors are the worst among other sectors. We seem to be affected the most. end of recovery, "he explained.

Meanwhile, DKI Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan emphasized that his party would not implement lockdowns or lockdowns on weekends. Anies, the issue of lockdown is only an issue in circulation.

"Jakarta does not plan to implement a lockdown policy at the weekend. The news about the metal policy is a discourse that is developing in the community and the media," Anies said in a Youtube broadcast by the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government, Friday, February 5.

According to Anies, the lockdown at the weekend was not effective. Because, the transmission of COVID-19 knows no time, both working days and holidays.

"Not only on weekends, not only at night because the virus is timeless and can be spread continuously through anyone," said Anies.

Anies said that his party will ensure that the implementation of restrictions on community activities (PPKM) in the field runs well and orderly.

Therefore, Anies again reminded the public to continue to comply with 3M's health protocols, namely wearing masks, maintaining distance, and washing hands. Including being reminded that Jakarta residents do not have to leave their homes if there is no urgent need.

"On the other hand, the government will continue to work hard to improve 3T, testing capacity and testing activities, tracing capacity and tracing activities, then the capacity of health facilities, treatment and isolation to ensure that anyone who is exposed can quickly return to health," he explained.