Indonesia’s Business Community Demands Fair and Free Covid-19 Vaccination

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – The Indonesian Employers Association (APINDO) has asked the government to make the Covid-19 vaccine free of charge for the country’s citizens.

APINDO Chairman Hariyadi Sukamdani said that priority should be given to medical workers, children, teachers, and older people in Indonesia’s Covid-19 vaccination program.

However, he said that other groups such as factory workers cannot be ignored.

“It is with the hope that the government will provide vaccination not only to certain groups but to everyone in society including the workers who pay the state.”

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Hariyadi said that limitations to the provision of complimentary Covid-19 vaccines in Indonesia will put workers at a disadvantage as they may be working for a company that does not have the financial means to support its employees.

Further, he stressed how there have been numerous companies across Indonesia that have been severely affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

“If the cost of the Covid-19 vaccines is expensive, then what are we to do? What happens if a company has plenty of employees and not just one or two?"

"We must get to the bottom of this because this is linked to the safety of every individual.”

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Hariyadi said that should the Indonesian government go through with limiting the number of free Covid-19 vaccines and many companies cannot fund their own Covid-19 vaccination programs, then Indonesia is at risk of not reaching herd immunity level.

Hariyadi argued the importance of ensuring fair and equal Covid-19 vaccination for all Indonesian citizens in the government’s plans.

He added that the country’s community is supportive of vaccination, but he hopes that the government will be able to assist the business community that has been left battered from the pandemic by providing vaccinations.

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“Vaccination, especially for businesses that have been affected, should be covered by the state. However, word of plans to personally pay for the vaccination, this is something that we need to discuss with the government.”

“In reality, the sectors that have been affected received government stimulus, which was not enough to keep them afloat during the pandemic.”

(Writer: Yohana Artha Uly | Editor: Ambaranie Nadia Kemala Movanita)

Source: https://money.kompas.com/read/2020/12/15/183908826/pengusaha-minta-pemerintah-gratiskan-vaksin-covid-19-ke-masyarakat