SBY Reminds Jokowi: Covid-19 Vaccination Must Be Successful Because The Budget Is Large, Don't Keep Debt

Former President of the Republic of Indonesia, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. (Photo: Twitter @SBYudhoyono)

JAKARTA - The 6th President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) reminded the government, in this case President Joko Widodo (Jokowi), to keep promises regarding the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. One of them is to provide free vaccination services for all the target recipients of society.

SBY said that the presence of vaccines from various types and countries of manufacture is a new hope. It is very possible that vaccines and vaccinations will become a turning point for ending the COVID-19 pandemic around the world, including Indonesia. Therefore, vaccination as a government program and a national movement must really be successful.

"I am sure that the Indonesian people, including myself, really hope that the government can carry out this national vaccination well. It must be successful and must not fail," he said, in a note entitled 'Indonesia 2021: Opportunities for Success Are There, Don't We Waste it' quoted from his official Facebook account, Friday, January 8.

Moreover, said SBY, for this vaccine and vaccination program, the government has issued a quite large budget. Meanwhile, Indonesia's state finances and fiscal space are truly limited. Of course, the state cannot continue to be in debt, because the mounting debt will add to the economic burden, which is now very heavy.

"My point is that what the government has promised to the people must really be fulfilled. Otherwise, for example due to wrong planning and miscalculations, it could cause chaos in itself," he said.

According to SBY, if the promise of free vaccination is not fulfilled it will make people lose confidence in the government. He said the public could panic, become angry, and lose hope so that the impact of all efforts to overcome the pandemic could fail.

Even so, SBY assesses that the government is actually capable of managing vaccinations well. "The requirement is to carry out an effective crisis management and work day and night. Not business as usual," he said.

Regarding the selection of vaccines to be injected into the public, SBY believes the government has considered all aspects. He only conveyed that the safety and efficacy factors were the two main factors that had to be met.

"The important thing is that the government's explanation to the public must be clear, transparent and can be understood well," he said.

In addition, SBY said there are a number of things that need to be considered, namely the number of Indonesians who reach more than 200 million people. So the vaccination process certainly takes time. Therefore, he reminded, not to let efforts to overcome COVID-19 at this time become lax, including implementing various necessary restrictions.

Not only that, the chairman of the Democratic Party's High Council also highlighted the difference in information between Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin and senior Ministry of Health officials about the length of time for vaccinations. Budi Gunadi on January 2 said that vaccination would be completed in 3.5 years.

A day later, a senior Ministry of Health official corrected by stating that vaccinations would be completed in 15 months. This means, said SBY, that the last vaccination against the Indonesian people will take place on April 13, 2022.

"I do not want to argue about the reality of how long it will take to vaccinate this country. The timeline is also like what. The important thing is that everything must be planned, prepared and implemented properly," he said.