Ministry of Social Affairs and Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture, Monitor the Basic Food Program in Medan City

MEDAN (February 11, 2020) - The Ministry of Social Affairs together with the Ministry of Coordinates for Human Development and Culture are monitoring the implementation of 2020 Foodstuff Program in Medan City.

The monitoring was attended by the Secretary of Directorate General of Poverty Handling (Sesditjen PFM), Nurul Farijati also with the Deputy Assistant for Social Compensation at the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture, Herbin Manihuruk and representatives from National Team for the Acceleration of Poverty Reduction (TNP2K), the State Logistics Agency (Bulog), D-fat, and JPal by visiting the Medan City Social Service Agency and 2 e-warong locations in Medan City. This monitoring is carried out to determine how the distribution and dynamics in the field are to determine policies that can be set.

In this monitoring, the Secretary of the Directorate General of PFM said that the Staple Food Program is a development of the Non-Cash Food Assistance (BPNT) program, this is due to the increased value of aid so many food commodities can be purchased by the Beneficiaries Family (KPM).

The thing that distinguishes BPNT from the basic food program is that the number of rice and eggs received increases, KPM also gets carbohydrates, animal protein, vegetable protein as well as vitamins and minerals, "explained the Secretary of the Directorate General of PFM.

The PFM Secretariat General hopes that the Staple Food Program can reduce stunting rates. "After the poverty rate decreases with the Non-Cash Food Assistance (BPNT), it is hoped that the stunting rate can also be reduced from the Staple Food Program."

Meanwhile, Head of Medan City Office, Endar Sutan Lubis, said that the basic food program has been disseminated to the sub-district level, but e-warong is not 100% (one hundred percent) ready to add animal protein, because it does not have a food cooler.

When visiting e-warong Bunga Sedap Malam, there was a KPM from the last September 2019 expansion, the assistance received could be used to buy rice, chicken eggs, soybean cake and tofu. "Alhamdulillah, the need for 3 children can be fulfilled," he said.

In relation to this, the Secretary of the Directorate General of PFM reminded again, that the Basic Food Program assistance must use up all of the assistance, if it is not used for 3 (three) months it must be returned to the state treasury. "Please convey this dissemination to the Food Social Assistance, Mr. Kadis," he added.

It is important to know that the Basic Food Program cannot be used to buy cooking oil, wheat flour, sugar, manufactured MP-ASI, canned food, instant noodles and other foodstuffs that are not included in the provisions, including the purchase of credits and cigarettes.