Legislators Emphasize the Important Role of Local Government in Ensuring Social Assistance Rights on Target

BALIKPAPAN (19 April 2022) – Commission VIII of the House of Representatives Republic Indonesia (DPR RI) appreciates the government's move to distribute social assistance to low-income communities (MBR).

The distribution of social assistance, including Direct Cash Assistance (BLT) for Cooking Oil, is considered to reduce MBR's spending from the pressure of rising prices during Ramadan and ahead of Eid al-Fitr. However, the accuracy of the target of social assistance remains the concern of the people's representatives.

To ensure that the assistance is right on target, Commission VIII emphasizes the important role of local governments. "Local governments can strengthen data verification. If the assistance fails to distribute, someone has died or is not on target, immediately report it to the Ministry of Social Affairs (MoSA). They have provided a data updating mechanism," said Deputy Chairman of Commission VIII Tb Ace Hasan Syadzily at the Mayor's Office Auditorium, Balikpapan (19/04).

Ace made the statement when having a working visit during the Recess Period with the MoSA in Balikpapan City, East Kalimantan Province. One of Commission VIII's agendas in this work program is to ensure that the distribution of social assistance is well-distributed and on target.

For the distribution of social assistance in East Kalimantan, Ace said that it has gone smoothly and well so far. On this occasion, members of Commission VIII DPR RI made a symbolic handover of assistance.

The assistance consisted of the Family Hope Program (PKH), the Non-Cash Food Assistance Program (BPNT) and the BLT Cooking Oil. In addition, disaster preparedness assistance and ATENSI assistance were also distributed.

In East Kalimantan Province, a total of 123,956 PKH KPMs were registered with a total of IDR 93,493,125,000, BPNT reached 573,475 KPM with a total of IDR 114,695,000,000, and BLT Cooking Oil covered 337,110 KPM with a total of IDR 33,771,000,000.

The MoSA also assisted local governments in the form of regular rice assistance for handling natural disasters as much as 20,000 kg with a total of IDR 215,380,000 and assistance for the empowerment of the Remote Indigenous Community of 66 families in the amount of IDR 300,000,000.

ATENSI assistance was given in the form of entrepreneurship assistance, to the elderly, disabled and orphans to 586 KPM worth IDR 640,595,270. So that the total assistance is IDR 243,055,100,270.

Meanwhile, in Balikpapan City, there were 12,065 KPM PKH with assistance worth IDR 9,068,425,000, BPNT reached 63,215 KPM with a total of IDR 12,643,000,000, and BLT Cooking Oil reached 36,555 KPM worth IDR 3,655,500.000.

ATENSI assistance for entrepreneurship, elderly, disabled and orphans amounts to IDR 111.700.000. The total social assistance in Balikpapan City is IDR 25,478,625,000.

The ATENSI assistance that was distributed was a contribution of Kartini Temanggung Center and Prof. Dr Soeharso Surakarta Integrated Center.

Visits for members of Commission VIII DPR RI also took place in Batam City and DIY Province. In Batam was attended by Deputy Chairman Marwan Dasopang and in DIY was attended by Chairman of Commission VIII Yandri Susanto. In Batam, Marwan hopes that BLT Cooking Oil can be distributed before Eid. In DIY Province, Yandri emphasized the importance of monitoring and ensuring that social assistance distributions were right on target.

In the Riau Islands, MoSA assistance for disaster management is worth IDR 1,635,135,900, and ATENSI assistance is worth IDR 599,158,000.

In Batam City, MoSA assistance for natural disaster management is worth IDR 484,150,394. While the ATENSI Assistance is worth IDR 294.345.000.

In the DIY Province, the Ministry of Social Affairs' total assistance was more than IDR 400 billion in the form of PKH, BPNT, BLT cooking Oil, ATENSI assistance and Disaster Management assistance.

Public Relations Bureau

Ministry of Social Affairs