Shopping Center Managers Are Not Sure Tightening Will Stop COVID-19

JAKARTA - The number of COVID-19 cases in the country has continued to increase in recent times. To reduce the growth rate of the virus, the government implemented a more stringent implementation of the Micro-Community Activity Restriction (PPKM). Even so, shopping center managers are not sure that this tightening will stop the COVID-19 cases that are already going crazy.

Chairman of the Indonesian Shopping Center Entrepreneurs Association (APPBI) Alphonsus Widjaja said that the restrictions would not be effective in suppressing the spread of COVID-19 if it was not accompanied by strong enforcement.

"Based on experience, namely at the beginning of 2021, restrictions will not be effective in reducing the number of positive COVID-19 cases if they are only carried out partially and not accompanied by strong enforcement of the implementation and application of strict, disciplined, and consistent health protocols", he said when contacted by VOI, Wednesday, June 23.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, said Alphonsus, shopping centers have and have always shown seriousness and a strong commitment to continue to enforce and implement strict, disciplined, and consistent health protocols.

"In shopping centers, health protocols are also applied in layers, namely those imposed by shopping center managers and tenants", he said.

Alphonsus said that with this restriction, it is certain that the economy will slump again. Therefore, the government must be able to ensure that the restrictions this time are really accompanied by strong enforcement of the enforcement and implementation of disciplined health protocols.

"So that big sacrifices in the economic sector will not be in vain again", he explained.

Shopping centers need government help

In addition, Alphonsus said there are two types of incentives needed by shopping centers to deal with the pressures of COVID-19. The first is support to boost sales. The second is to ease the burden on business actors.

"Temporary exemption from taxes related to sales. It is expected to increase sales, which have been in a tough condition for more than a year", he said.

According to Alphonsus, the temporary abolition of final taxes that still have to be paid will certainly be able to relieve business actors who have been in a slump since COVID-19 entered Indonesia last year.

"So with these two types of incentives, it is hoped that they can immediately boost sales and at the same time save business actors who have started to fail since last year, especially since the end of last year which is still ongoing until now", he said

Furthermore, Alphonsus said that shopping centers also hope that the government can provide subsidies for workers' wages of 50 percent which are channeled directly to workers through BPJS Ketenagakerjaan (funded social security).