Dyaning Pangestika, Jakarta – The government will disburse social aid to low-income families in order to dissuade people from participating in the Idul Fitri mudik (exodus), presidential spokesman Fadjroel Rachman has said.
"This aid is a form of government intervention. In Greater Jakarta, we will assist 3.7 million lower-income families to help them in their daily lives as they are required to stay at home throughout the COVID-19 pandemic," Fadjroel said in a statement received by The Jakarta Post on Friday.
Fadjroel added that the government had included a Rp 405.1 trillion (US$24.5 billion) stimulus in the state budget to fight against the pandemic. Some Rp 110 trillion from the budget will be allocated to aid lower-income families with their daily necessities.
Previously, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo announced that he would not ban people from leaving Jakarta and asked community heads in the regions to quarantine vacationers as soon as they arrived in their respective hometowns.
"[The President] underlines that there is no official ban on people participating in the mudik during the 2020 Idul Fitri holiday. The returnees, however, must self-isolate for 14 days and will be given 'people under observation' [ODP] status, as per World Health Organization health protocols, and will be monitored by their respective local administrations," Fadjroel said on Thursday.