NasDem: The PCR Policy Should Be Issued By The Ministry Of Transportation, Not The Minister Of Home Affairs

Illustration (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - The NasDem Party criticized the policy of the Instruction of the Minister of Home Affairs (Inmendagri) Number 53 of 2021 concerning PPKM Levels 1-3 in Java and Bali. In particular, regarding the obligation to pocket the PCR test results for passengers of airplane transportation modes.

It is known, through Inmendagri 53/2021, it is regulated about the obligation of PCR tests for people who use air transportation modes. Later, the Ministry of Transportation issued Circular Letter (SE) 88/2021 which in more detail regulates the travel mechanism during this pandemic. The Ministry of Transportation's SE will be effective on October 24, 2021. The Head of the Health Sector of the National Democratic Party of Struggle (DPP) Okky Asokawati, questioned the policy of using antigen test results or PCR on trips that use the legal umbrella of the Instruction of the Minister of Home Affairs (Inmendagri). In fact, he said, the authority to issue regulations regarding travel requirements was not issued by the Minister of Home Affairs but the Ministry of Transportation.

"The issuance of policies regarding travel and COVID-19 testing should be returned to the authorities in the health sector or in the transportation sector," Okky said, Sunday, October 24. In addition, Okky said the policy also burdened the public, especially the expensive PCR prices to match the plane ticket. alone.

"The policy of having the obligation to have PCR test results for airplane passengers is burdensome to the public," he said. Okky assessed that the policy had no correlation with previous government policies, such as the vaccine policy and the policy for leveling the PPKM implementation.

"This PCR test obligation is not at all correlated with vaccine policy and PPKM leveling. Vaccine policy and PPKM leveling are meaningless," he said.

The main problem, explained Okky, is the policy of having the obligation to pocket the results of the PCR test lies in the high costs incurred by the community.

"The main problem is the cost of the PCR test, which costs approximately the same as the price of a plane ticket. This is a burden for the community. The cost of the PCR test should be free or at least equal to the cost of an antigen test," said Okky.