Indonesia has urged leaders of G20 nations not to end their financial support programs prematurely to help ensure the recovery of the pandemic-battered global economy, while also calling for international cooperation in the development and distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said a “partial and uneven” economic recovery could result in the global economy failing to reach pre-pandemic levels.

“G20 countries should avoid withdrawing stimulus too early and ensure vaccine access and availability, which are crucial to handling the pandemic and supporting economic recovery,” the finance minister said in a statement following a virtual meeting between finance ministers and central bankers of G20 countries on Oct. 14.

“Indonesia is committed to using a full range of policy tools, including a policy mix of fiscal, monetary and structural measures to spur economic recovery,” she said.

The Indonesian government is banking on the roll-out of a COVID-19 vaccine to put a stop to the virus outbreak in the country. It has secured several deals to procure approximately 300 million doses of potential COVID-19 vaccines from various developers, including China’s Sinovac Biotech Ltd. It aims to start vaccinating its citizens by January next year.

Read also: Bio Farma teams up with CEPI to mass produce COVID-19 vaccine

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