Coordinating Human Development and Culture Minister Puan Maharani said the decision to maintain the extended holiday was made after the government was informed of public concerns over social and economic disruptions, as well as public order and security issues.

“The SKB will still [be in effect] with relevant ministries to implement it,” Puan said on Monday at a press conference in Central Jakarta, kompas.com reported.

The Manpower Minister, the Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform Minister, the Home Minister, the Social Affairs Minister and the Transportation Minister also attended the press conference, along with head of the Financial Services Authority (OJK).

Puan said social concerns included how the government could provide enough time for people to spend time with their families in different cities and how to manage the holiday traffic.

The government also considered how businesses could continue to operate with help from the banking, transportation, trade, immigration and customs sectors. Puan said the government also discussed the matter with the Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) and the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce (Kadin), as well as the Indonesia Stock Exchange to ensure that an environment conducive to economic activities would be maintained over the extended holiday.

Earlier, businesses protested the government’s decision to extend the collective Idul Fitri holiday, arguing that the extended holiday would negatively affect productivity and exports. (dwa)

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