TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) chairman, Mohamad Sohibul Iman, argues that the government is giving more priority to the economy compared to the wellbeing of its citizens amidst the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

“The government is more focused on handling the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic rather than placing their utmost attention to mitigate the spread of the virus itself,” said Sohibul in his speech during the 22nd anniversary of the PKS party on Wednesday.

He argues that one of the examples to prove his claim is the Government Regulation in lieu of law (Perpu) No.1/2020, which he believes is meant to overcome the economic effects of the virus instead of trying to break the coronavirus chain of transmission.

Sohibul Iman also said that the changes in the 2020 State Budget (APBN) is allocated more heavily towards the economy rather than the programs that could be able to mitigate the virus spread.

He maintains that the pre-employment card the government recently issued was placed at a higher priority level compared to fulfilling the spending for personal protective equipment (APD) and medicines for healthcare workers who are fighting against the coronavirus.

The PKS leader argues that it is far more important to add healthcare facilities across Indonesia and commence massive coronavirus testing. “This is where the government’s understanding failed to handle the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.

M YUSUF MANURUNG