TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Jakarta Provincial Government was predicted to find difficulties in implementing stricter Covid-19 restriction policy dubbed Emergency PPKM or PPKM Darurat without the help of the central government.

The Jakarta Legislative Council (DPRD) Commission A Chairman, Mujiyono, argued that the current budget of the capital has already been tight. “If the central government doesn't help, the city’s economy will fall apart. Our PAD (regional revenue) will stagnate,” he said on Wednesday, June 30.

The Democrat Party politician said the realization of the city’s PAD is still low. As of last May, the PAD realization was approximately 19 percent.

The current condition, he went on, was different from that at the beginning of the pandemic last year, March 2020. At that time, Jakarta still had funds. “Not to mention that the regional reserves reached Rp1.4 trillion. That, I think, is sufficient and so PPKM or lockdown or whatever it is called can be enforced,” said Mujiyono.

Previously, the central government reportedly planned to soon implement an Emergency PPKM in areas with a dramatic surge in Covid-19 cases, including Jakarta.

Governor Anies Baswedan also hinted that the city administration needs assistance from the central government for the enforcement of the Emergency PPKM. He said the capital needs 2,156 more professional tracing officers and 5,139 vaccinators consisting of 2,050 health workers and 3,089 non-health workers.

Mujiyono said that before implementing the PPKM Darurat, the Jakarta provincial government must consider the regional financial balance. Moreover, he opined that it was difficult to refocus the Regional Budget or APBD for the allocation of funds needed during the policy implementation.

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