The Emergency Community Activity Restriction Has Been Extended, Shopping Center Employers Ask Government To Be Responsible For Workers' Wages And Free Taxes

Illustration. (Photo: Unsplash)

JAKARTA - The shopping center business is increasingly under pressure with the extension of the Emergency Community Activity Restrictions (PPKM). Various financing reliefs were also requested by the Indonesian Shopping Center Management Association (APPBI) to deal with the impact of the extension of the policy.

The General Chairperson of APPBI Alphonzus Widjaja has predicted that the Emergency PPKM will be extended as the trend of the number of positive cases of COVID-19 continues to increase.

Furthermore, he said that the extension of the implementation of the Emergency PPKM would certainly make the business conditions of Shopping Centers more difficult, as has also been recognized by the government.

"Shopping Centers ask the government to immediately provide exemptions for costs that are still being charged by the government even though the government asks Shopping Centers to close or only operate on a very limited basis", he said, quoted by VOI, Wednesday, July 21.

First, said Alphonzus, shopping centers ask the government to temporarily remove the minimum usage requirements for electricity and gas.

"Second, asking the government to temporarily abolish the Land and Building Tax (PBB), advertisement tax, and other taxes/levies that are permanent", he said.

Then, continued Alphonzus, the shopping center entrepreneur also asked the government to subsidize workers' wages by 50 percent.

Shopping centers, said Alphonzus, also hope that during the extension of the Emergency PPKM, the government can ensure strict enforcement of restrictions and ensure strict, disciplined, and consistent implementation of the Health Protocol.

"Because it is very feared that the Emergency PPKM could last a long time because the current spread of the COVID-19 outbreak has occurred at a very micro level, namely in the smallest neighborhoods and communities in people's lives", he said.

The PPKM is officially extended

The government officially announced the extension of the policy on the implementation of the Java-Bali Emergency Community Activity Restrictions (PPKM). This policy was delivered directly by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi).

Even though it is extended, Jokowi ensured that the government would always monitor the dynamics of the COVID-19 pandemic on the ground. If within five days there is a decrease in cases, the government will ease gradually.

"We always monitor, understand the dynamics on the ground, and listen to the voices of people affected by the PPKM. Therefore, if the trend of cases continues to decline, the government will conduct a gradual opening on July 26, 2021", President Jokowi said in a video statement posted on the Secretariat's YouTube channel, Tuesday, July 20.

Furthermore, the former Governor of DKI Jakarta asked all parties to work together to implement Emergency PPKM. The hope is that with a decrease in COVID-19 cases, the pressure on hospitals and other health facilities can decrease.

"I ask all of us to work together and work hand in hand to implement this PPKM, with the hope that cases will soon drop and the pressure on hospitals will also decrease", he said.