Jakarta (ANTARA) – A senior researcher from the Economic Research Center of the National Agency for Research and Innovation (BRIN) has suggested that the allocation of funds for the National Economic Recovery (PEN) in 2022 should focus on the retail sector for rapid absorption of funds.
Funds for the retail sector can be allocated through direct funding, credit subsidies or greater business incentives, she noted.
“We also need to be mindful of the retail sector because if benefits and credits are given only to MSMEs but neglect the retail sector, then the sector will not fully recover despite the places of online marketplace that have supported the industry,” said Umi Karomah, lead researcher. informed ANTARA in Jakarta on Thursday.
Karomah encouraged the government to allocate more of the bailout fund to the economic stimulus item, especially the retail sector, to increase the absorption rate of the fund this year after the PEN fund recorded an absorption rate of only 88.4% in 2021.
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“If the social work station received a higher percentage of PEN, then I am afraid that the absorption rate will not improve because the station is more prone to corruption and cannot escape complicated procedures,” noted Karomah.
Apart from the retail sector, the lead researcher also pointed out that the service sector should receive equal attention through a greater allocation of PEN incentives to the sector.
The services sector has a bigger role to play in driving the economic recovery compared to the food and beverage sector, she added.
“I also suggest the government boost the housing and construction sectors as well as the transport and tourism sectors,” Karomah remarked.
Earlier, the government announced that the allocation of funds for the national economic recovery in 2022 would focus on: the public assistance sector, with a budget of 154.8 trillion rupees ($10.8 billion); economic stimulus sector, budget of 141.4 trillion rupees ($9.89 billion) and health sector, 117.9 trillion rupees ($8.25 billion).
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