Minister of Social Affairs Officially Launches Basic Food Assistance for the Elderly in Jabodetabek

JAKARTA (April 24th, 2020) - The Indonesian Minister of Social Affairs, Juliari P. Batubara accompanied by the Director General of Social Rehabilitation, Harry Hikmat symbolically handed over special social assistance from the President in the form of basic food assistance for the elderly to the As-Salam Family Compensation Center (Pusaka), Johar Baru, Jakarta.

The handover of the basic food assistance also inaugurated the launch a total of 4,763 basic food assistance packages through 94 Elderly Social Welfare Institutions (LKS-LU) in the Jabodetabek area. Basic food assistance worth IDR 300,000 (three hundred thousand rupiah) per elderly is distributed 2 times a month.

To the media crew, the Minister of Social Affairs said that the elderly are very vulnerable to being affected by COVID-19. "The Covid-19 pandemic has a huge impact on the elderly. So through this social assistance, we ensure that in the month of Ramadan, the elderly get good and nutritious food so that they can avoid the COVID-19 pandemic, " said the Minister of Social Affairs.

The basic needs assistance is provided through the Social Welfare Institution (LKS) to then be distributed directly to the residence of the elderly in the Greater Jakarta area. Direct distribution to the residence of the elderly in collaboration with PT. Pos Indonesia "Our arrival here is also to ensure the distribution of basic food assistance by a team of PT. Pos Indonesia is running well, " concluded the Minister of Social Affairs.

In the near future, the Minister of Social Affairs will also distribute cash social assistance to the elderly who are outside the Jabodetabek area. "Currently, the data submitted by the District / City Social Services throughout Indonesia is still in the process of integration by the Ministry of Social's Data and Information Center (Pusdatin). This is an effort to make the data valid and the social assistance distributed on target," said the Minister of Social Affairs.