By: Anggraheni Salma )*
The problem of the Covid-19 pandemic cannot be taken lightly, because it has an impact on various sectors, including the economic sector. Various efforts have been made by the government to improve the economy after the Covid-19 pandemic. Several new policy packages were issued to restore the national economic growth track. One of these policy packages is the National Economic Recovery Acceleration Program (PEN) and the Exit Strategy program in the form of gradually opening the economy to a new order. Government efforts are also aimed at saving micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), among others, by providing tax incentives, subsidizing capital loan interest, placing funds for restructuring and other policies.
It needs serious handling to overcome the impact crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. The 2020 State Budget (APBN) Priority is also encouraged to become a priority in supporting the handling of Covid-19. Currently, the total budget for MSMEs is IDR 123.46 trillion. There are also business incentives of up to Rp. 120.61 trillion which are accumulated from incentives for income tax (PPh) 21 borne by the government (DTP) of Rp. 39.66 trillion and exemption of PPh 22 on imports of Rp. 12.75 trillion. Other incentives include a reduction in PPh 25 installments of Rp. 14.4 trillion, preliminary return on value added tax (VAT) of Rp. 5.8 trillion, a reduction in the corporate income tax rate of Rp. 20 trillion, and other stimuli of Rp. 26 trillion. The government is also trying to keep the number of unemployed from increasing. The Covid-19 pandemic has an impact on increasing the number of unemployed people to 1.7 million people. This number does not include the 7 million people who were unemployed before the Covid-19 pandemic.
The government has also taken several steps to minimize the impact of the health sector, socio-economic conditions and the business world. In the health sector, for example, the government has provided equipment support for medical personnel, the construction of emergency hospitals and seeking referral hospitals for Covid-19 patients.
Furthermore, the government has also provided a social safety net for social and economic activities for people whose income was affected during the pandemic. This was done with the aim that people could still maintain consumption.
Some of the social safety nets that have been implemented include the improvement and expansion of PKH, the increase and expansion of basic food cards, the addition and flexibility of pre-employment cards, to other direct cash assistance. Various programs for the business world include providing incentive support in the field of taxation, reducing import lartas, as well as various policies and relaxation in the financial sector
Indonesia’s success in surviving the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic also depends on community discipline in realizing a new normal. Therefore, the government involved the security forces to encourage discipline in the hope that a new culture would soon be formed. Meanwhile, the government continues to work hard to create a mitigation system for the sake of saving the economy, so it is hoped that it will soon find a turning point.
*) The author is a youth literacy community activist