TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto, targeted 70 million people to have received the Covid-19 vaccine by the middle of this year so that the tourism sector can soon recover.

"For the recovery on the demand side, we will push the improvement of the vaccination program as the president hoped that as of June and July, 70 million people will have been vaccinated," said Airlangga in a work meeting with the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) on Thursday, March 18, 2021.

Vaccination is one of the supports for the tourism sector in addition to relaxation and incentives. The government is also currently drafting policies on credit relaxation, debt restructuring, and working capital loans at low-interest rates to finance hotel maintenance or operation.

"The provision of working capital is being discussed. We ask PHRI to submit concrete and accountable inputs that we will discuss with the Financial Services Authority (OJK) and Bank Indonesia," Airlangga explained.

The government is also preparing two alternative policies, including travel package vouchers for health workers as a reward and companies establishing private vaccination in certain regions.

Airlangga reiterated that companies participating in the vaccination under mutual cooperation scheme will have the right to get discounts or travel vouchers for their employees or discount on conference packages at hotels. Additionally, people who have received two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine are allowed to purchase the travel voucher.

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