Australian Government Sends 2,400 Ventilators To Indonesia

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BADUNG - The Australian government provided ventilator assistance worth AUD 261,250 for Indonesia in handling COVID-19.

The aid was handed over by the Australian Consulate General, Anthea Griffin in the cargo area of I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, Bali, to the Head of the Bali Provincial Health Office, dr. Ketut Suarjaya.

The assistance will be directly used for handling COVID-19 by accelerating the management of the release of goods through immediate service or rush handling provided by Ngurah Rai Customs.

"This is one form of our response to help deal with COVID-19, namely by providing immediate services (or) rush handling of medical grant aid items in accordance with the provisions," said Head of the Ngurah Rai Customs Office, Kusuma Santi, Wednesday, August 18. .

"In addition, considering this medical assistance for handling COVID-19, we also provide fiscal facilities in the form of exemption from import duties and or excise, not collecting VAT and Article 22 Import Income Tax according to Minister of Finance Regulation Number 34 of 2020," he added.

The aid was sent using a Qantas Airways plane in the form of 11 collies containing 2,400 tubs-humidiair standard tub ventilators, 1,440 FFM-SML-ROW masks, and 1,460 FFM-LGE-ROW masks.

Ngurah Rai Customs and Excise provides the release of imported goods for use with immediate service or rush handling, so that the ventilators received can be directly removed from I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport for use.

Santi also explained that the release of imported goods for use with immediate service or what is often referred to as rush handling is a customs service provided for certain imported goods which due to their characteristics need to be immediately removed from the airport or port.

In addition, several items that can be given immediate service include corpses, ashes, human organs, live plants and animals, to vaccines or medicines.

"So for goods that can be given rush handling, we change the pattern of settling customs obligations with the main priority, namely goods can be released first, so they can be used immediately," he said.

"As for the import of the COVID-19 vaccine, for example, the vaccine can be issued and distributed immediately, then the fulfillment of customs regulations will be carried out afterwards. We hope that with this rush handling, the customs process can provide support, especially for efforts to handle the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia. Water," said Santi.