Ahead of Ramadhan, Government Guarantees Safe Situation

JAKARTA, KOMPAS - A week before Ramadan, the government held a ministerial-level coordination meeting to discuss preparations for the Eid al-Fitr 1446 Hijri homecoming. The government guarantees that Ramadan worship, the homecoming flow, and the return flow of Eid al-Fitr will be safe and well-managed.

The coordination meeting was held for five hours from 1:30 PM to 6:30 PM on Monday (24/2/2024). A total of 12 ministries and agencies gathered to present their preparations and anticipatory measures for the Eid homecoming. The meeting was attended, among others, by representatives from the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs; the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Cultural Affairs; the Coordinating Ministry for Infrastructure and Regional Development; the Ministry of Home Affairs; and the Ministry of Religious Affairs. Additionally, representatives from the Ministry of Trade; the Ministry of Public Works; the Ministry of Transportation; the TNI; the Polri; and the State Intelligence Agency were also present.

The government estimates that the number of travelers during the upcoming Eid al-Fitr holiday will exceed 100 million people. Therefore, the government needs to ensure the implementation and safety of activities ranging from Ramadan worship, Eid al-Fitr celebrations, the homecoming flow, to the return flow.

"The government ensures the fulfillment of the community's basic needs during Ramadan and also the celebration of Eid al-Fitr. This includes, of course, checking for any presidential instructions or government policies in relation to Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr," said Deputy Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Lodewijk F. Paulus after the meeting.

The government also wants to ensure the extent of discounts for transportation tickets for homecoming such as plane tickets, trains, and buses. Until now, the government is still communicating with service providers whether plane, train, and bus tickets can be reduced by up to 10 percent.

"During Christmas and New Year, the ticket price reduction reached more than 10 percent. Of course, after coordination, we hope the discount will be more than 10 percent," he said.

Meanwhile, regarding toll rates, a 20 percent discount will certainly be applied to support the smooth flow of homecoming and return traffic.

Basic needs

The government also checks the adequacy of people's basic food needs ahead of Ramadan and towards Eid. The availability of gas, fuel oil, and so on is also guaranteed to be sufficient. During Christmas and New Year, the prices of commodities that rose were cooking oil and garlic. However, until now, the prices of both commodities can still be controlled.

"We will continue to maintain price stability. Starting today, the government will carry out market operations. Of course, market operations are important to maintain price stability. Including, of course, from the regional government to ensure that inflation in the region does not occur. With the needs of the community that are not met," he explained.

The relevant ministries and institutions were also asked to immediately work and issue policies for the preparation of Ramadan and Eid. For the readiness of road infrastructure facilities, especially national roads, it is ensured that there are no holes.

"We coordinate with the Ministry of Public Works and the Ministry of Home Affairs. The Ministry of Public Works guarantees that there are no national roads with holes. Regarding provincial roads and district and city level roads. Of course there will be instructions or appeals to local governments," he said.

From the side of the Ministry of Manpower which handles the issue of Holiday Allowance (THR), THR is still being discussed to who is entitled to receive it. The Ministry of Manpower is given a time limit to determine how much THR the company must pay to employees. In principle, seven days before Eid, it is expected that THR can be received by employees spread across Indonesia.

"In essence, it is hoped that by D-7 of Eid, we can resolve these problems," he stressed.

Deputy Assistant Chief of Police for Operations Inspector General Endi Sutendi added that the Police will hold Operation Ketupat on March 26-April 8. The homecoming flow is estimated to take place on March 28-30. Meanwhile, the return flow is estimated to occur on April 8 until finished.

The traffic management scheme is carried out by looking at the current situation and conditions on the road. As usual, the Police will implement traffic engineering such as contraflow, one flow, and other things to smooth the flow of traffic on the toll road.

Based on the experience of Christmas and New Year homecoming, the number of homecoming travelers could reach over 100 million people. In mid-March, it is expected that the survey by the Ministry of Transportation will be released soon so that it can be used for the analysis of Operation Ketupat 2025.