Sri Mulyani Sets Coronavirus Lockdown Budget as Worst Scenario

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Finance Minister Sri Mulyani said the government had prepared a budget for a partial or full lockdown scenario that aimed at anticipating the spread of the coronavirus infection or COVID-19. She added that her ministry will facilitate such a policy if the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) decides to take the worst-case scenario.

"It [the budget] must be prepared for sure, if BNPB decides the isolation," said Sri during a press conference on the national budget which was held via video conference today, March 18.

The government, Sri added, will help maintain economic growth that will be affected if a lockdown occurs. However, the government was preparing a center for mass isolation rather than lockdown to minimize the rate of COVID-19 transmission.

According to her, a shelter center to isolate people infected with COVID-19 is possible in areas that are classified as dense such as Wisma Atlet and similar state buildings.

"BNPB has been looking for shelters for social distancing," the former managing director of the World Bank remarked.

Sri claimed the reasons why the government has not yet decided a lockdown scenario was not caused by budget constraints. She stressed that problems that might arise were in terms of logistics.

"It's not a matter of money, it's a matter of who wants to send food to the isolated place later," Sri Mulyani explained.

To date, the government has not confirmed the amount of the health budget that will be allocated for the coronavirus handling. Sri said her side was waiting for calculations from the Ministry of Health and BNPB.

President Joko Widodo or Jokowi previously asserted that Indonesia would not be put on lockdown. "The lockdown policy at both the national and regional levels is the central government's authority," he said at Bogor Palace on Monday, March 16.

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