Jokowi: Extending Sensitive Emergency PPKM, Must Be Decided With Clear Thoughts, Don't Be Mistaken

President Jokowi (DOK BPMI Setpres)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said that the option to extend the emergency PPKM must be carefully studied. The decision on whether or not to extend the emergency PPKM must be seriously considered.

"This is a question from the community today, one important thing that we need to answer is whether the emergency PPKM will be extended or not? If you want it to be extended, how long? This is really a very sensitive matter that must be decided with clear thinking, not to be mistaken," said Jokowi during the emergency PPKM evaluation process, Friday, July 16, whose video was uploaded to Youtube by the Presidential Secretariat, Saturday, July 17.

Previously, Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture (Menko PMK) Muhadjir Effendy said President Joko Widodo had decided to extend the implementation of the emergency community activity restrictions (PPKM) until the end of July.

"Earlier, the limited cabinet meeting that I attended when I was in Sukoharjo (Central Java) had been decided by the President to continue until the end of July this PPKM," said Muhadjir in Yogyakarta, quoted by Antara, Friday, July 16.

President Jokowi, said Muhadjir, also conveyed that the decision to extend the emergency PPKM has many risks, including how to balance between disciplining residents to obey health protocols according to PPKM standards with the distribution of social assistance.

Social assistance, said Muhadjir, cannot be borne by the government itself. However, mutual cooperation with the community and a number of other agencies is also needed in dealing with this pandemic.

"This social assistance cannot be borne by the government itself, so the community, including the UGM academic community, under the leadership of the Chancellor, helps those who are less fortunate as a result of this PPKM policy," said Muhadjir.