Maintain Consistency

KOMPAS/HERU SRI KUMORO

Prospective passengers of the Jayabaya and Jayakarta trains line up to enter Pasar Senen Station, Jakarta, Wednesday (31/3/2021). The ban on Lebaran 2021 homecoming has made a number of residents have the strategy to return to their hometowns, one of which is to go home early.

The government has banned the Idul Fitri tradition of mudik (exodus) from 6 to 7 May 2021. We are now waiting for the consistency in the implementation of this policy on the ground.

Maintaining consistency is important considering that, although it has been banned, it is believed that there will still be people who go to their hometown during the holidays. As conveyed by Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi in a press conference following a Cabinet plenary session on Wednesday (7/4/2021), according to a result of a study conducted by his ministry, around 27 million people will still travel home. Meanwhile, if the activity is not banned, 81 million people will travel home.

Also read: Further Instructions on ‘Mudik’ Ban Waited

People’s psychological condition after more than a year facing the pandemic as well as assurance after receiving the Covid-19 vaccine, are suspected to be some of the things that motivate people to travel home. It is also predicted that people’s mobility during the Idul Fitri holiday will remain high because at that time, tourist attractions are still allowed to operate, though with several provisions.

At the same time, the government is still trying to take advantage of Idul Fitri to maintain the momentum of economic growth. This, among other things, is evident from its decision to hold a National Shopping Day for home-grown products twice on ten and five days before Idul Fitri (D-10 and D-5 before Idul Fitri). A budget of Rp 500 billion is prepared to subsidize the shipping costs of the online program.

If the activity is not banned, 81 million people will travel home.

Efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19, and at the same time maintain the economy, are indeed difficult and often lead to policies that may appear contradictory, ineffective and confusing. This also happened several times in 2020.

SEKRETARIAT PRESIDEN

Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Airlangga Hartarto

Last year, restrictions on travel during long holidays were enforced several times. However, holidays are still provided even though there is still both increase and decrease in people’s mobility. As a result, the COVID-19 curve continued to rise. As stated by Coordinating Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto, following last year’s Idul Fitri, there was an increase in daily new confirmed cases of up to 93 percent. Likewise, there was also a 119 percent increase after the holiday in August, 95 percent after the holiday in October and 78 percent after the Christmas and 2021 New Year holidays.

Also read: Celebrating Lebaran May Change but Not Its Meaning

Now is the time for us not to make the same mistake. The mudik ban that was announced in advance is a good first step as it gives the government more time to prepare more detailed implementing policies. Now is the time to, for example, prepare strict punishments for civil servants (ASN), state-owned enterprise (BUMN) employees and members of the National Military (TNI) and the National Police forces who travel home. Sanctions, such as traffic tickets, also need to be prepared for private transportation used for mudik. A step-by-step guide for local governments in regions that are the destination areas for mudik also needs to be prepared as soon as possible. At the same time, the role of elite is also very much awaited in the implementation of this policy.

Only with a firm and consistent policy will this pandemic be overcome more quickly. As long as the pandemic remains unresolved, there is still going to be a long way ahead to economic recovery.

This article was translated by Camilia Adianti