Finally Homecoming Is Allowed

Illustration of people homecoming by using bus transportation

JAKARTA - For two years, the COVID-19 pandemic has attacked the world and also Indonesia. For two years, the government has banned homecoming. This year, along with the sloping down of cases of COVID-19, the government allowed homecoming.

President Jokowi in a video description posted on the Presidential Secretariat's YouTube, Wednesday, April 6, predicts that 85 million will return to their hometowns to stay in touch with their families. Of this number, 14 million of them are from the Greater Jakarta area.

Meanwhile, the presidential assistant, Minister of Transportation (Menhub) Budi Karya Sumadi, in a meeting with Commission V of the DPR at the DPR building, Jakarta, Wednesday, April 6, estimates that around 79 million people will travel back and forth during Lebaran this year. Of the 79 million, 13 million of them are travelers from the Greater Jakarta area. Budi said the peak of the homecoming flow was predicted to occur between April 29 to April 30 2022 and May 8.

Meanwhile, travelers who will use private vehicles, both two-wheeled and four-wheeled, are predicted to reach 40 million people.

Meanwhile, people who will use land public transportation reach 26 million and 8 million by air.

In addition, said the Minister of Transportation, there are also 8 million people using trains and 1.1 million people will use sea transportation. Then, the transportation that has been prepared by the government consists of 57,000 buses, 205 ships, 327 aircraft, and navigation ships.

The government has also prepared various policies to anticipate overcrowding. Starting from traffic engineering, implementation of odd-even on toll roads to appeals to go home early.

Minister of Finance (Menkeu) Sri Mulyani said this year the total THR budget for ASN reached IDR 34.3 trillion. This figure is distributed to the central ASN, TNI, and Polri in the amount of IDR 10.3 trillion, to the regional ASN of IDR 15 trillion, and to pensioners of IDR 9 trillion.

According to Sri Mulyani, the government's move to issue THR will encourage the acceleration of the national economy by increasing people's purchasing power.

Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy (Manparekraf) Sandiaga Uno said his party saw the average expenditure of domestic tourists (wisnus) as many as 48 million homecomers. It is predicted that there will be IDR 72 trillion in revenue that will be achieved by creative and creative actors during the Eid homecoming in 2022. That is not a small number.

Of course, the government must be prepared. Homecoming is a tradition in Indonesia that occurs every year. Moreover, these two years cannot be done due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Why do you have to be ready? At the beginning of this article on the same day, President Jokowi via his Youtube channel said there were 85 million people while the Minister of Transportation in the DPR said 79 million people. Meanwhile, the Vice President (Wapres) KH Maruf Amin, as published by voi.id, said that there were 70-80 million travelers who would return to their hometowns.

Which one is true. The president, vice president, and their assistants can have different data. Even though it's just a prediction, it should be well prepared by state officials with one data. Because it reflects good coordination.

Moreover, homecoming is a tradition. It has become a routine event every Eid al-Fitr. Celebrating victory day with family at home.

Because it is routine and this is the first homecoming after the COVID-19 pandemic has slowed, all parties, both the community and the relevant government officials, must take care of each other.

People who do homecoming must obey and adhere to health protocols. Meanwhile, government officials should not be careless. You have to concentrate and focus. Of course, the 2016 Brexit event which killed dozens of people was a valuable lesson. A bad record that should not be repeated again.

So, the hope of Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani and Menparekraf Sandiaga Uno, homecoming to encourage acceleration and revive the economy can be realized. And people can calmly celebrate the day of victory at home with their loved ones.