TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Democratic Party chairman Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY) opined that the Covid-19 pandemic was the root of the problems currently faced by Indonesia, including the economic downturn or recession.

He likened the pandemic to fire and the economic pressure as the smoke, asking the government to not focus on the wrong subject.

“Since the beginning, the state should be more focused on putting out the fire, rather than concerning the smoke,” he said via Twitter on Tuesday, August 25.

The eldest son of the 6th President of Indonesia Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) said that tactical and strategic measures to save the public health and the country’s economy must be monitored together. The current crisis, he underlined, is a national crisis.

“Let’s ask ourselves, what contribution we can make to lighten the burden of the state and the people?” AHY said, adding that challenges to combat the pandemic and save the economy were a great test for the unity and commitment of the nation.

Previously, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said that Indonesia's economic growth was predicted to contract between 0 and minus 2 percent in the third quarter of 2020, which indicated an economic recession.

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AHMAD FAIZ IBNU SANI