TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Jakarta administration has earmarked Rp5 trillion for the mitigation of COVID-19 in the capital next year, including vaccinations. Jakarta Deputy Governor Ahmad Riza Patria said the budget was incorporated in the capital’s unexpected expenditure post.

“The allocations will be managed like we did before, divided into three parts, which are health purposes, social safety net or social assistance and economic stimuli,” he said at the Jakarta Legislative Council (DPRD DKI Jakarta) building on Monday, 14 December 2020.

Riza Patria said the Jakarta government was set to carry out COVID-19 vaccinations next year. “We are awaiting directions from the central government through the Health Ministry,” he added.

He explained the vaccinations would be prioritized for health workers. “Followed by PNS (civil servants) and others,” he said.

Earlier, a member of DPRD DKI Jakarta’s Commission E, Mohammad Arifin, said the Jakarta administration had allocated a budget to procure COVID-19 vaccines next year. The budget would stem from the capital’s unexpected expenditure post, which was pegged at Rp5.3 trillion.

“The budget for the purchase of the vaccines has indeed been prepared. But [we are] still waiting for the results of evaluation of the 2021 regional budget from the Home Affairs Ministry,” Arifin said on Wednesday, December 9, 2020.

The Jakarta administration is presently still conducting reviews of the purchase of the vaccines, among them to figure out how many vaccines it will buy for the planned vaccinations next year.

Other significant issues to deal with are the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines and the necessary coordination with the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) to ensure the vaccines are halal.

Read: Jakarta Govt Prioritizes Health Workers, Teachers for Free COVID-19 Vaccines

IMAM HAMDI