Good News From Hippindo: Vaccination Will Restore 80 Percent Of Shopping Center Turnover

Illustration. (Photo: Unsplash)

JAKARTA - Shopping center entrepreneurs are optimistic that the implementation of vaccination will restore business turnover that has been eroded due to the pandemic. Although, the condition will not be able to return to the same as before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The chairman of the Indonesian Shopping Center Tenants Association or Hippindo, Budihardjo Iduansjah explained that currently, the retail business has decreased to 50 percent from normal conditions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Budi gave an illustration, before the pandemic, annual retail sales were in the range of IDR 600 trillion. Meanwhile, the retailer's turnover is currently around IDR 300 trillion per year.

"We hope that this vaccination can increase (turnover), although it will not return immediately. But at least 80 percent has returned to its original state", he said, during the inauguration of the Hippindo and Ministry of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises (Kemenkop-UKM) vaccination center, Jakarta, Monday, June 7.

To support the recovery of shopping center turnover, the Indonesian Shopping Center Retail and Rental Association (Hippindo) and the Ministry of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises (Kemenkop UKM) in collaboration with the DKI Jakarta Provincial government opened a COVID-19 vaccination center at Smesco Indonesia for MSMEs and retail workers.

Budi said that his party was assigned by the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government to vaccinate as many as 150.000 workers in the retail sector, starting from delivery warehouses, MSME suppliers, shop workers, and so on.

Furthermore, Budi said that the vaccination target would be divided among 40 percent of employees under the auspices of Hippindo. While the remaining 60 percent will be given to the MSME sector and supporting business chains in it.

"Because of that, all (workers) must be secured first by being vaccinated, then consumers will come shopping", he said.

Later, said Budi, the activities that will take place at the vaccination center will include administering vaccine doses I and II with a 45-day interval. Budi also asked all parties not to worry, because the number of vaccinations is safe and available.

"So (the implementation of vaccination) will be held until the eighth month or August for the second vaccine", he said.

Agreeing with Budi, the Minister of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises, Teten Masduki, believes that the implementation of the COVID-19 vaccination will restore the turnover of business actors who are under pressure from the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I am sure that when the vaccination has been carried out, sales, MSME turnover, Hippindo will live again", said Teten.

Moreover, said Teten, MSME players and Hippindo are the most important part of the Indonesian economy, because they are the driving force of the economy, especially during the pandemic.