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Meets The Students, Social Affairs Minister Risma Discusses BLT BBM and Empowerment Programs

Meets The Students, Social Affairs Minister Risma Discusses BLT BBM and Empowerment Programs
Writer :
Rizka Surya Ananda
Translator :
Rizka Surya Ananda/Karlina Irsalyana

JAKARTA, THURSDAY (08/09/2022) – Ministry of Social Affairs is endeavoring to secure state funding for the empowerment program, besides social assistance that has been being distributed. This statement was said by Minister of Social Affairs Tri Rismaharini when she attended Focus Group Discussion (FGD) “Questioning The Increasing of Fuel Price: People are suffering, then who get the benefits?”, which was hosted by the Indonesian Student Consultative Assembly at  Gedung Joeang 45, on Thursday (8/9). This was also to answer students’ questions about the long-term solution to eradicating poverty as a consequence of fuel price hikes.

“I am striving (to secure the fund), but it is not that easy. Indeed, social assistance is not enough. The maximum is about five thousand rupiahs per month and sometimes it was found by the media as if people did not get the assistance because it is only five thousand rupiahs,” Risma said in front of the students.

She acknowledged that social assistance is not adequate to eradicate poorness, but it is still important to deliver as it plays a significant role in fulfilling basic needs. According to Risma, primary needs should be met first, then it can be added by empowerment. 

MoSA has started its empowerment program, particularly for social welfare service recipients. One of the programs is disability empowerment by providing business capital assistance. Last year, the minister handed over social assistance in the form of electric motorbikes and business capital to Gading, a person with a physical disability.

“He is a person with disability. I helped him in Mei 2021, right now he can buy a motorcycle for his parent. (Last time) I met him, his saving reached Rp18 million. Even now he wants to open a small grocery store,” said Risma.

Besides sustainable social programs, the scholars highlighted public complaints about improper targets of social assistance. To address this issue, Risma conveyed that her party has designed an accessible complaint portal. The public can check the social assistance beneficiaries by accessing cek.bansos.kemensos.go.id. The website is equipped with the feature of “Usul sanggah (Propose Rebut)” to facilitate people in proposing those who are proper to receive assistance and rebutting those who are not.

“Public can report a social problem, either assistance problem or other problem through command center by dialing 171,” she revealed.

However, Risma admitted that MoSA needs other parties’ participation to reach those who are in need as well as to control the social assistance distribution. Therefore, the Ex-Mayor of Surabaya invited the scholars to actively participate in supervising MoSA programs so that social assistance can fully benefit people in need.

“We can do this (control) together. Don’t tolerate fraud. The more people who do the control, the better the program can be,” said Risma.

Meanwhile, college students mentioned their appreciation to Social Affairs Minister for her presence on the occasion and became the only minister who accepted the invitation. “Thank you for taking the time to attend our discussion. I think it’s rare for ministers to come (attend the FGD) in this difficult situation like now and you become the only minister present,” said Yayan Setiadi, General Secretary of Islamic University Student Board Association.

In the end, the students wanted MoSA to educate the poor, not only give them social assistance.

The FGD was attended by 140 students who are members of the Indonesian Student Consultative Assembly. In addition to the Minister of Social Affairs, also presented the Head of the Communication Bureau for Public Information Services and Cooperation of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources Agung Pribadi, Head of the Center for Macroeconomic Policy at the Ministry of Finance Abdurohman, and the Implementing Coordinator for Planning, Programming, Evaluation, and Reporting of the Ministry of Manpower, Andi Awaluddin.
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