Indonesia returned to emergency measure as it braves the second COVID-19 wave, which sees extreme spike in cases within a few weeks triggered by the Delta Variant. As cases passed the 50,000 mark in mid-July, the government imposed a semi-lockdown measure, Emergency PPKM, limiting mobility and the use of public spaces. Implemented in several regions in the country, the measure has adopted a new nomenclature PPKM Level 4 with slight easing for small medium enterprises and extended to 2 August with potential further extension. 

 

The restriction threatens to send the country’s economy, which was in the process of recovery in the second quarter of 2021, back into shambles. Businesses have warned against the possibility of layoffs and bankruptcies, a threat to the country’s already increasing unemployment rate. To curb the social impact of this restriction, the government has allocated IDR55.21 trillion for social assistance. 

 

According to Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, such social aid is key to the success of the restriction as compliance with the stay-at-home mandate depends on people’s ability to survive without having to leave their homes for work. To help with relief efforts and to support the government’s policy, Bahtera donated food for those economically impacted by the COVID-19 restrictions as part of our CSR program. This donation was managed under collaboration with Kita Peduli, a movement that focuses on raising funds to provide foods for families or households in need across Jakarta and Tangerang. In this collaboration, we donated a full week supply of food packages for several families.