JAKARTA (March 16, 2020) - Minister of Social Affairs, Juliari P. Batubara took various quick steps to anticipate the impact caused after the outbreak of Corona Virus in Indonesia. One of the steps taken is to accelerate the disbursement of Family Hope Program (PKH) assistance in phase II, which was originally scheduled to be disbursed on April, it is changed on March 2020.

"According to the direction of President Mr. Joko Widodo, we must maintain the purchasing power of KPM PKH as a group that is very vulnerable to economic slowdown due to the spread of Corona Virus (COVID-19). Every year, PKH assistance is given in four stages. According to the schedule, PKH assistance is distributed on January, April, July, and October," said the Minister of Social Affairs in Jakarta, today (3/16).

"For this second stage, it should be disbursed on April and changed into March 2020," said Ari, the Minister of Social Affairs' nickname.

The Minister hopes that the acceleration of the disbursement of PKH funds can maintain the purchasing power of KPM PKH and be utilized well by KPM to improve children's nutrition so that they can avoid the spread of Corona Virus.

"If the KPM nutrition is maintained, then it is unlikely that they will be susceptible to diseases including COVID-19. From the report I received, many KPM have disbursed their funds in a number of areas," the Minister added.

The Ministry of Social Affairs noted that KPM which had disbursed PKH assistance in phase II such as South Kalimantan, Lampung (East Lampung Regency, Pesawaran), Bengkulu, NTT, Banten (Pandeglang, Serang and Lebak District), Central Java, Maluku and North Maluku, Central Sulawesi and South Sumatra.

The benefit of the disbursement of PKH phase II was greatly felt by Siti Rohani, KPM from Metro City, Lampung Province. Siti Rohani said she was happy to be able to receive PKH social assistance faster than usual because this could help meet the needs of her children. "I will use this money to meet the nutritional needs of children and school needs," Siti explained.

Siti, who works as a toy trader, admitted that she did not take all PKH funds. "I take as necessary to meet the needs only and I still save the rest in the bank," she added.

Meanwhile, the Director General of Social Protection and Security of the Ministry of Social Affairs, Pepen Nazaruddin, explained that the amount of assistance distributed by the government in phase II reached more than seven trillion.

"Until March 10, 2020 yesterday, the assistance which was submitted and has been disbursed from the Ministry of Finance worth Rp. 7,014,888,950,000 for 9,214,185 KPM," said Pepen.

Pepen also appealed to KPM PKH not to be panic with the conditions that developed lately. "We hope that no food price fluctuations will occur, so KPM is asked not to be panic about the issue of the Corona Virus because the government has tried to minimize it," explained Pepen.