The Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association Awaits For Government To Pay Jakarta COVID-19 Isolation Hotel Debt

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JAKARTA - Chairman of the Jakarta Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI), Sutrisno Iwantono, is waiting for the government to pay the arrears of the cost of isolating COVID-19 patients.

It is known that the central government through the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) still has a debt of IDR 140 billion to hotels that are isolating COVID-19 patients in DKI Jakarta.

"The PHRI is waiting for it because it was paid late. If it is detained for a long time, our suffering will be complete", said Iwan when contacted, Saturday, June 12.

In addition, Iwan also asked the government, both the central government and regional governments, to continue to use hotels owned by private companies as places for COVID-19 isolation. As long as the government pays off the debt.

"Yes, if you can, give other hotels the opportunity to also participate in the program, so that it's not just the same hotel. Expanded to include more hotels. If there is sustenance, it will evenly be distributed. If there is no sustenance, it will be evenly distributed as well", he said.

For information, the central government has stopped financing COVID-19 patient isolation facilities at hotels, inns, and guesthouses in Jakarta. Not only that but the cost of lodging for health workers who handle COVID-19 too.

The Emergency Management of the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) Dody Ruswandi admitted that the central government no longer had the budget to finance the isolation of COVID-19 patients at Jakarta hotels.

In addition to running out of budget, it turns out that the BNPB still has a debt of IDR 140 billion to 36 COVID-19 isolation hotels in Jakarta.

"We still owe the hotel. (The isolation fee) specifically for Jakarta is IDR 200.711.910.000 and we have just paid a bailout of IDR 60 billion", said Dody when confirmed.

"If it continues, it's a pity for the hotel because we haven't paid for everything. So far, we have used the BNPB budget, it's just that we ran out of budget yesterday. So we had a meeting, we said to try (financing) until June 15", he added.

However, Dody said that the suspension of financing for the isolation of COVID-19 hotels in the capital was only temporary. Currently, the BNPB is still waiting for the budget process again at the Ministry of Finance.

"Perhaps (the cost of isolation) can be borne by the regional government first because we are still proposing (the budget) to the Ministry of Finance. Later, when it has been dropped from the Ministry of Finance, if it is needed (isolation hotels) can be proposed again", he said

Therefore, DKI Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan has set a number of new isolation locations. This is stated in the Governor's Decree (Kepgub) Number 675 of 2021.

The Governor's Decree, which was signed on May 31, 2021, revoked the Governor's Decree No. 979 of 2020 calmly that the isolation location was controlled for previous COVID-19 patients. There are thousands of isolation beds and lodging for health workers provided by Anies. These locations are in hotels, guesthouses, flats, sports halls, mosques, and schools.