JAKARTA (8 April 2022) – The Ministry of Social Affairs (MoSA) stated its readiness to support President Joko Widodo's policy of reducing public spending with the Cooking Oil Cash Assistance (BLT) program. MoSA provides continuously updated data as the basis for recipients of BLT Cooking Oil.

 

Representing the Minister of Social Affairs Tri Rismaharini, Secretary-General of MoSA Harry Hikmat stated that BLT Cooking Oil is included in the cluster of Non-Cash Food Assistance Program (BPNT) / Basic Food Assistance Program. The target is underprivileged citizens whose data is recorded in the Integrated Social Welfare Data (DTKS).

 

Harry stated that MoSA would periodically update DTKS. “For data, we continuously improve the validity and reliability of targeting accuracy the data of beneficiaries from DTKS including PKH and BPNT/Basic Food Assistance Program data. As directed by the President, the recipients of BLT Cooking Oil are BPNT and PKH beneficiaries," said Harry Hikmat at a virtual BLT Cooking Oil Media Briefing in Jakarta, Friday (8/04).


MoSA has increased data updates to ensure data validity from the previous twice a year to once a month. "MoSA updates the data every month by name and address, matches them with Dukcapil data or Identification Number (NIK)," Harry revealed.

 

Moreover, efforts to increase data validity are carried out with the support of technological innovations, for example, geo-tagging through satellite imagery. This allows the latest DTKS to be equipped with photos of the condition of the beneficiary's house.


“The data is presented in real-time during the distribution of social assistance for both BPNT and PKH beneficiaries. So, we believe that the accuracy of social assistance will be much better," said Harry.


MoSA also provides an integrated Cek Bansos application in the SIKS-NG Social Welfare Information System equipped with a proposing-rebutting feature. The community can participate if they see someone is eligible or non-eligible in receiving assistance.


“Through the proposing-rebutting feature, the community can participate, including when the community finds that the family is very poor and deserves the assistance, it can also be submitted in the Cek Bansos app. That's a mechanism at the MoSA as an effort to maintain the integrity of the DTKS so that the social assistance received by poor families is truly targeted, including BLT Cooking Oil," he said.


BLT Cooking Oil reached the target of 20.65 million beneficiaries, namely 18.8 million BPNT beneficiaries and 1.85 million PKH beneficiaries outside BPNT recipients. The assistance is a buffer to help increase people's purchasing power in the midst of rising prices entering the month of Ramadan and ahead of Eid al-Fitr.


Previously, President Joko Widodo ceremonially launched the BLT Cooking Oil program by handing over cash to the beneficiaries at the Angso Duo Market, Jambi, Thursday (7/4).


In the launch of the BLT Cooking Oil, there were 100 beneficiaries who received assistance worth IDR 300.000/beneficiary. The President requested that the assistance be used for useful purposes, either for capital funding or buying basic needs including cooking oil whose prices are currently increasing.


The amount of BLT Cooking Oil assistance is Rp. 100,000 per month which is handed over at once for three months, namely April, May and June. With the assistance provided, people who meet the requirements will receive a total of IDR 300,000 in April 2022.


BLT Cooking Oil is an addition to the regular assistance that has been received through PKH and BPNT by targeting 2.5 million street vendors and food stall entrepreneurs. The assistance will be distributed by the TNI-Polri.


The BLT Cooking Oil Media Briefing was held by the Directorate General of Budget of the Ministry of Finance. Like the presenters, there were the Secretary of the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, the Director-General of Budget, the Ministry of Finance, the Secretary-General of MoSA, Deputy Assistant Territorial Commander of the TNI, and the Assistant Chief of Police for Operations.

Public Relations Bureau

Ministry of Social Affairs