The community appreciates the distribution of direct cash assistance (BLT) for cooking oil to the community. The existence of this cooking oil BLT is one solution to ease the economic burden of the community in the midst of the increase in these commodities.
One solution that has been taken by the Government to overcome the increase in cooking oil prices is to distribute the distribution of BLT to underprivileged communities and also to a number of fried food sellers. This was stated directly by Akhmad Darmawan as an economist from the University of Muhammadiyah Purwokerto when assessing the policies issued by the Government.
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The target target of the BLT distribution policy is around 20.5 million underprivileged families consisting of recipients of the Non-Cash Food Assistance (BPNT) program as well as recipients of the Family Hope Program (PKH). The government also targeted 2.5 million street vendors (PKL). Then the amount of BLT given is IDR 300 thousand because it is a combination from April, May to June 2022, all of which are submitted directly in April 2022.
On the other hand, appreciation was also given directly by Daniel Johan as the Chairman of the PKB DPP who considered that the provision of cooking oil BLT to the community was a direct response from the government when responding to the difficulties of its people. He also gave the same input as Akhmad Darmawan that this swift step must be accompanied by the firmness of the Government.
The PKB politician added that a policy that favors the people must immediately be made to minimize the impact of the community being much worse due to fluctuations in the prices of several commodities, especially cooking oil. The policy formulation must really protect the people’s food.
Of course, not only providing BLT to the community, but the Government will also continue to strive to improve market conditions. What is necessary and very important to do is to be able to eradicate deviant producers or distributors who intentionally stockpile cooking oil so that the effects are felt by the market immediately, with stocks running low and prices soaring.
In fact, the increase in the price of cooking oil was also followed by several other commodities, with the right momentum at the beginning of Ramadan like now until before Lebaran later. Of course, market demand for cooking oil commodities will increase due to the large number of MSME players who need it. However, this condition is played by dishonest business actors.
The economist added that the next step that can be taken by the government is to provide subsidies related to cooking oil. This of course will also help to immediately make the price of cooking oil much more stable and affordable for the public.
Firmness is needed when trying to dismantle the existence of oligopoly practices that have been related to the cooking oil problem in the country. Of course there must be fair enforcement of the law indiscriminately to anyone who is proven to be involved in this game. Because when the government can be firm, market competition will be much better.
Regarding the BLT distributed by the Government, now it is just a matter of how to maximize the distribution. Accuracy of target is certainly the main point of this policy, so that people who really can’t afford it can feel the BLT Cooking Oil policy.
)* The author is a contributor to Lingkar Press