Meet Erick Thohir, Entrepreneur Reporting A Fundraising Of IDR 500 Billion For Handling COVID-19

Minister of BUMN, Erick Thohir. (Photo: Instagram @erickthohir)

JAKARTA - Businessmen who are members of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce (Kadin) together with the Indonesian Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation will raise funds with a target of reaching IDR 500 billion. This fund is to help tackle the corona virus or COVID-19 in Indonesia.

In front of the SOE Minister, Erick Thohir, Chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Rosan Roeslani, admitted that until now, the funds that have been collected from these fundraising efforts have reached approximately Rp. 300 billion in goods and cash.

Rosan explained that these funds came from large entrepreneurs throughout Indonesia. Even so, he admitted, his party would also accept if there were small and medium-sized entrepreneurs in the regions who wanted and were able to contribute to the handling of the COVID-19 outbreak.

"The assistance has been distributed to the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB). Pak Doni's task force team, as well as the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI)," said Rosan, in a video conference with journalists, at the Ministry of SOEs, Jakarta, Tuesday, March 24. .

In addition, Rosan explained the purpose of his visit to meet Erick Thohir. He admitted that he wanted to contribute and cooperate with the Ministry of BUMN, because he was considered active in handling COVID-19.

Rosan also revealed that on Monday his party had sent 5,000 COVID-19 rapid test kits to the Kemayoran Athlete House. In the future, his party hopes that the aid can also be distributed to BUMN hospitals.

"We want to be able to contribute and cooperate with the Ministry of BUMN, by giving Pertamina Hospital 5,000 rapid tests, then PPE 2,000 and also we will give 10,000 masks to Garuda and this is for the first phase and this will be sustainable," he explained.

Meanwhile, BUMN Minister Erick Thohir welcomed the initiative of these entrepreneurs positively. He admitted that he was touched because with the current situation, a mutual cooperation step was needed.

"Now this is precisely the strength of our nation. I thank the chairman of Kadin, Pak Rosan, and Pak Sulis who attended as representatives of businessmen, and of course from the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation," he said.

Erick admitted that after visiting the Athlete House to check the handling of COVID-19 patients there, he was worried because the number of patients had risen drastically.

"I am also quite worried, humane, when the number of patients from 21 people to 102 people, and I have not checked again today. That is why I had a meeting with all the deputy ministers. ready, "he explained.

On the other hand, Erick also asked the Indonesian people not to blame each other about the spread of COVID-19. According to him, now is the time to start moving to help deal with COVID-19 by starting from their respective environments first.

"We ask all elements of society not to blame each other, but to start moving in their respective smallest areas and with mutual cooperation we can get through this," he said.