Social Affairs Minister Presents MoSA’s Current Issues and Challenges in front of the Commission VIII DPR RI

JAKARTA (28 MARET 2023) - As we approach the end of the first quarter of 2023, the Ministry of Social Affairs (MoSA) faces several current issues and challenges in handling social welfare. Among these are natural disasters and violence against children.

The statement above was made by Minister of Social Affairs Tri Rismaharini during a working meeting with the Commission VIII of the Indonesian Parliament (DPR RI) to discuss the implementation of programs and budgets for the year 2023. The meeting was held at the Indonesian Parliament Building in Senayan, Central Jakarta, on Tuesday (March 29).

Disaster relief is one of the primary issues mentioned by the Minister. As of now, 87% of the IDR 25.5 billion budget has been spent on emergency relief or public kitchens. As a result, the emergency budget is now IDR 3.2 billion. Meanwhile, the buffer stock of food and family support remains at IDR 149 billion. The monthly buffer stock requirement was IDR 17.3 billion last year, hence the current budget is only expected to meet needs for 8.6 months.

"As a result, the buffer stock is IDR 149 billion. The estimated buffer stock until August is approximately 8.6 months," said the Minister.

Buffer stock is a critical aspect of disaster management. The Minister pointed out the challenges in distributing aid to remote islands. "For example, Pulau Selayar, Nias, Mentawai. If a disaster occurs in distant areas, it's impossible to expedite the delivery of aid to those locations. For instance, it takes 27 hours to transport goods from Natuna to Pulau Selasar, so it was somewhat delayed," she stated.

Therefore, MoSA is intensifying the establishment of social granaries in hard-to-reach areas to anticipate emergencies caused by disasters.

Another current issue highlighted is cases of violence against children. Since 2021, the number of child cases handled by MoSA has increased dramatically. In 2021, 148 child cases were handled but in 2022, the number skyrocketed to 763. As of February 2023, MoSA has already addressed 135 reports related to child protection.

"From January to February 2023, 2,034 cases were reported and followed up on. One of the most common cases is one involving children," said the Minister.

Responses to these cases are carried out by 31 Technical Implementation Units (UPT) under the MoSA’s Directorate General of Social Rehabilitation, spread across Indonesia. There has been a budget reduction of IDR 480 billion for the Directorate General of Social Rehabilitation in 2023. This reduction includes the elimination of food assistance for 100,000 elderly individuals and 33,774 people with disabilities, as well as assistance for 378,745 non-COVID orphaned children.

Other budget items that will be reduced include the Indonesian Economic Heroes (PENA) program, which will have a lower target and index. The target for 2022 is 8,500 beneficiaries with an assistance index of IDR 6 million. However, in the 2023 budget, the target was decreased to 7,500, with an index of 5 million per beneficiary. Furthermore, assistance for Remote Indigenous Communities (KAT) has been reduced from IDR 90 billion to IDR 69 billion. As a result, the program's intended target of 3,500 households has been reduced to 2,847 households.

During this meeting, members of the Commission VIII DPR RI raised concerns regarding the MoSA's automatic adjustment policy or budget blockage. This policy has the greatest impact on the PENA program, KAT empowerment, Local Wisdom Social Assistance, Social Harmony, Disaster Stimulus Assistance, and companion support.

Commission VIII voiced dissatisfaction with the budget reduction and asked the Minister to take strategic initiatives to unlock the blockage. "I am disappointed that the budget has been cut and blocked. Furthermore, the budgets that are being blocked are those that are intended to strengthen underprivileged communities," stated Endang Maria Astuti.

The meeting with Commission VIII of the Indonesian Parliament concluded that the Parliament recognizes that 18.54% of the budget, approximately IDR 14.5 trillion out of a total budget of IDR 78.1 trillion, has been realized.