Investment Minister Encourages Vaccination in Papua's Fakfak to Recover Economy

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Investment Minister or Head of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM), Bahlil Lahadalia, monitored the mass vaccination held in the Fakfak Regency Office, West Papua. According to the minister, the inoculation needs to be done massively by local governments as it will highly affect the regional economic recovery.

“People want to go to your city, Mr. Regent, [they] want to invest, to visit tourist destinations, [and] the first thing they want to know is how many vaccinations have been carried out. That is an absolute requirement," Bahlil said in a written statement, Tuesday, September 28, 2021.

The minister said that his visit was to ensure that the targeted vaccinations will be completed entirely by 2022, as requested by President Joko Widodo.

"The target is 2022 to complete all vaccinations, after that we will start economic activities. Services will not be carried out optimally from all OPD (Regional Apparatus Organizations) and Regents if we still have doubts about health," he said.

The Regent of Fakfak, Untung Tamsil, said that they targetted to inoculate 1,000 people on that occasion.

According to Tamsil, the West Papua's Fakfak Regency would continue to support the government in successing the immunization program and to disseminate information to the public regarding the Covid-19 vaccination.

Muhammad Hendartyo | Maudey K. Setyakusuma