Saving the Business World Requires Government Intervention
Rescuing the business community that collapsed due to the COVID-19 pandemic requires government intervention, both in terms of financing, policy, and marketing. Hopefully, at the end of August, there will be a roadmap for saving, recovering, and normalizing the business world in West Java (West Java).
Therefore, the Task Force for Economic Recovery as a Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic in West Java continued to draft recommendations to be given to West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil so that they could be implemented as soon as possible.
Thus the results of the task force plenary meeting chaired by the Chairperson who is also the Regional Secretary (Sekda) of West Java Province Setiawan Wangsaatmaja, Wednesday (07/29/2020) night through a webinar. Also present at the plenary meeting were the Task Force Supervisor, former Indonesian Minister of Defense Sarwono Kusumatmadja, former Minister of National Development Planning / Head of National Development Planning Agency Paskah Suzetta, as well as chairmen and members of the task force working group.
The task force formed through Governor Decree Number 371 of 2020 consists of business practitioners, academics, and bureaucrats. Since it was formed on July 9, 2020, the task force has held 40 meetings given the pandemic conditions that have worsened the business world.
In the plenary meeting, the chairmen explained the action plans for three stages, namely efforts to rescue, restore, and normalize the business world. The majority of the working group heads requested that the government intervene in the areas of capital, marketing, and regulation.
Deputy Chief of Task Force Jajat Priata said, the business community in West Java and also nationwide was badly shaken by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Production goods are stuck, labor is damaged, unemployment is increasing, the economy is plummeting. There needs to be immediate rescue for the business world so they can return to production. To be able to recover, production must be boosted, the purchasing power of the people must be increased, and the company’s finances must recover. That all needs government intervention, “said Jajat.
According to Jajat, there are proposals for government intervention that have been met and many have not. He hopes the recommendations made by the task force team will be implemented, so that the business world can meet their needs and the economy will soon recover.
“There are eleven working groups in the Economic Recovery Task Force and all have made recommendations. Hopefully it can be applied, “he said.
Jajat sees the Economic Recovery Task Force playing an important role in saving, recovering, and normalizing the business world. Because, in the task force, there are practitioners of the business world, academics, and bureaucracy. With these three components, the solution to saving the business world will be an immediate solution.
The Chairman of the Task Force for Economic Recovery, Sarwono Kusumaatmaja, considered that the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic should be an opportunity to improve the community’s economy. “Let’s make this crisis an opportunity. The conditions must be collaboration, example, empathy, and speed, “he said.
Sarwono requested that the task force members sharpen programs that would be recommended to the governor.
“Let’s make this crisis an opportunity. Opportunities to improve the business world and innovate. This can all be done well if there is trust between the community, government, and the business world. Also the collaboration and example of us all. Let’s grow our empathy for people who are experiencing difficulties due to this pandemic, “Sarwono said.
Meanwhile, Paskah Suzetta assessed that collaboration between the business world, the bureaucracy and academics gathered in the task force should be appreciated.
“Note from me, make a program that is focused and set priorities. Maybe just a few sectors, without understating the other sectors. Make it as realistic as possible and must be marketable or have a sale value for financial institutions or investors. Our obstacles are there, “said Easter.
The statement of the two Task Force Guides received a response from the Chair of the Task Force, Setiawan Wangsaatmaja. “What these coaches say, hopefully we will all note. Let’s make the crisis an opportunity for economic recovery. You do this by accelerating the rescue, recovery and normalization of the business world by fostering public trust, collaboration of all stakeholders, and example, “said Setiawan.
In addition, said Setiawan, the program made must focus on the problem by setting priorities, realistic and workable, and marketable to financial institutions and investors. “We still need to improve, sharpen and set priorities,” he said.
The Task Force Secretary, Ipong Witono, said that the task force would immediately conduct the sharpening by compiling a working group proposal matrix.
“Almost all sectors have slices with other sectors. For this reason, synergy and collaboration are needed so that the proposed program will not only be sectoral but comprehensive. All problems boil down to finance. Later there will be cross-sector and cross-sector talks. Including later will be discussed with the BJB Bank and the financial services authority for financing the business world, “said Ipong.
Related to collaboration, according to Ipong, the West Java Economic Recovery Task Force is a collaboration between three pillars namely the business world, the bureaucracy, and academics.
“The formation of this task force is the aspirations of the business community, not the appointment of the government. This is typical of West Java. The community synergizes with the government to find solutions to the problems they face, ‘he said.
