Business Welcomes Indonesia's COVID Endemic Plan

TheIndonesia.id - The Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) said it welcomes the government’s plan to shift COVID-19 status from pandemic to endemic as it’s predicted to trigger national economic growth.

Kadin deputy chairman Sarman Simanjorang affirmed that actors in business and industry are ready to head to endemic status and follow all necessary rules mapped out by the government.

“Business actors are waiting for the government’s decision on when the endemic status will be declared. [We] hope that it can be announced in the middle of March 2022, so business can get advantage from the Ramadan and Idul Fitri momentum,” Simanjorang said in a statement on Tuesday, March 8, as reported by Antara.

By making the endemic status official in mid-March, he said, businesses can gain profit from meeting the soaring market demand as the country heads to the Ramadan month and major holiday Idul Fitri in early May.

In return, national economy will be positively impacted, and the significantly increasing household consumption will contribute to economic growth in the second quarter.

Furthermore, Kadin also noted that if the government allows public to return to their hometown (mudik) during the holiday season, it can also trigger economic growth in other regions in Indonesia. Simanjorang reminded that the flow of money to the more remote areas in Indonesia has been affected in the last two years as mobility restrictions disabled people in cities from mudik.

Simanjorang said he’s optimistic that mudik, along with the public’s improving financial situation, will even help the government to achieve its 5 to 5.5 percent national economic growth target for 2022.

“If it’s realized, the 2022’s economic target growth set at 5 to 5.5 percent by the government can be achieved,” Simanjorang predicted.