Malls Must Close At 17.00, Value Entrepreneurs Are Ineffective To Squeeze The COVID-19 Frenzy

JAKARTA - The government plans to again cut the operating hours of shopping centers or malls from a maximum of 20.00 to 17.00 WIB. This effort was made to suppress the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. As is known, on June 27, daily cases were recorded to have crossed 21,342.

Chairman of the Indonesian Shopping Center Management Association (APPBI) Alphonzus Widjaja assessed that the policy was not very effective in suppressing the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19.

Furthermore, he said, so far the mall management has implemented the COVID-19 health protocol consistently and strictly. So according to him, it does not cause new clusters to spread COVID-19.

"Currently, the spread has occurred in smaller neighborhoods and communities. So the restrictions must be on a micro-based basis and enforce it to the smallest level in the environment and community life," he said when contacted, Tuesday, June 29.

Alphonzus said that the discourse will certainly hit the national economy, which is currently starting to revive. Not only that, the impact of cutting operating hours will trigger layoffs. This can happen if the economic movement, especially in the retail industry, slumps again.

Therefore, APPBI urges the government to reconsider the discourse. So, he said, the economy can be saved.

Not only that, Alphonzus ensures that all shopping center managers will comply with the health protocols that have been set as long as these efforts are effective to suppress the spread of COVID-19.

"Don't let big sacrifices in the economy go to waste, because the policies that have been decided are not effective in reducing the number of positive cases of COVID-19," he said.

As is known, the increasing number of COVID-19 cases has prompted the government to plan to revise the implementation of the implementation of micro-scale Community Activity Restrictions (PPKM) in the Instruction of the Minister of Home Affairs Number 14 of 2021.

The regulation will impose restrictions on the operation of shopping centers until 17.00 WIB, while restaurants that have used the take away system are allowed until 20.00.

Meanwhile, the capacity is still the same as the previous rule, which is 25 percent of the space capacity. Likewise, the policy of working in an office is allowed 25 percent of the room capacity and the remaining 75 percent must work at home or work from home (WFH).

Previously, Alphonzus Widjaja said that the tightened micro PPKM restrictions would not be effective in suppressing the spread of COVID-19, if it was not accompanied by strong enforcement on its implementation.

"Based on past 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 Alphonzus, shopping centers have always shown seriousness and a strong commitment to continue to enforce and implement strict, disciplined and consistent health protocols.

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