G20's Finance Track moved to Jakarta over Omicron concerns

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Two sessions of G20's Finance Track, initially planned to be held in Bali on January 15-18, 2022, were relocated to Jakarta over rising concerns among delegates about the risk of the Omicron variant.

The two sessions of G20's Finance Track were the 2nd Finance and Central Bank Deputy (FCBD) and 1st Finance Minister Central Bank Governor (FMCBG), G20 Meeting Secretary I Rudy Rahmaddi stated.

"The relocation aligned with the G20 delegates' preference for Jakarta, considering the high risk in traveling between Jakarta and Bali and the increasing transmission of the COVID-19 Omicron variant," Rahmaddi explained here on Thursday.

The G20 meeting's secretary expounded that relocation of the meeting from Bali to Jakarta swapped schedules with the 2nd FMCBG in July 2022 that was originally planned in Jakarta but would be moved to Bali.

Rahmaddi's statement followed the letter circulation of the G20 Meeting Implementation Committee in Logistics No. S-3 / G.20.33 / 2022 dated January 19, 2022, regarding announcement of the G20 activities' relocation to the media and the public.

The letter was a form of communication and routine coordination between the G20 Committee and the Bali stakeholders.

Rahmaddi elaborated that the G20 was a series of meetings divided into the Financial and Sherpa tracks, comprising 345 meetings at the level of Engagement Group, Working Group, Deputy, and Ministers/Governors of the Central Bank, and the event summit will be attended by G20 heads of state in November 2022 in Bali.

"As what was decided by Mr. President, Bali is still the main venue for the G20 meetings since December 2021," he stressed.

Nonetheless, Rahmaddi ensured that his team will make all-out efforts to implement the G20 meetings by monitoring dynamic developments in the situation with regard to the pandemic, taking necessary measures in tackling the virus, and prioritizing the health and safety of all people involved. (*)