Spraying disinfectant at a public place in Jakarta, Indonesia, to prevent the spread of COVID-19 (Photo: VNA)Jakarta (VNA) - Indonesian President Joko Widodo onJuly 15 directly presented cash assistance to small and micro-sized enterprises, businesshouseholds, freelance workers, and street vendors affected by the COVID-19pandemic to help them overcome the difficult time.
According toWidodo, about 12 million businesses and individuals whose income have been cutby 50 percent due to the impacts of the disease, were supported under the programmewith each of them receiving 2.4 million rupiah (175 USD).
Before thepandemic broke out, the income of freelance labourers and small traders couldreach 500,00-800,000 rupiah a day. However, their income is now reduced to only200,000 rupiah.
Widodo said he hoped the support can be usedeffectively, helping small and micro-sized enterprises increase business efficiencywhen the disease is under control.
Supporting small and micro-sized businesses, and freelance workershas actually become one of the President's priorities amid the pandemic.
Earlier, at the Cabinet meeting in June 2020, Widodo asked relevant ministries to immediately deploy support packages for small andmicro-sized businesses so that they would not be discouraged and try their best torecover their business and production.
In its national economic recovery programme, the Indonesian government prepareda fund of 6,600 billion rupiah to prevent the pandemic and respond to its impactson the national economy./.
VNA
