By: Raditya Rahman) *
The government began disbursing phase II social assistance (Bansos) to affected communities Covid-19 in the Jakarta area. In contrast to the first phase of Social Aid, the second phase of Social Aid is the government distributing rice to the community.
Director General of Social Protection and Assistance (Linjamsos) Ministry of Social Affairs Pepen Nazaraudin said, 25 kg of rice assistance for each beneficiary family (KPM) in the Jakarta area was directly distributed by Bulog.
At present the progress of aid distribution has reached 32%, at the same time, the Ministry of Social Affairs is also synchronizing data for the distribution of the third stage of Social Aid in the form of food, where the distribution synergizes with the DKI Jakarta provincial government.
The Ministry of Social Affairs will distribute social assistance to 1.2 million households (KK), while the Provincial Government of DKI Jakarta has 938 thousand families. The recipient of Covid-19 Bansos in Jakarta in the second phase increased by almost one million households from the first phase of social assistance which was only 1,194 million households.
Pepen said the third stage of assistance was provided in the form of basic food. The distribution will be carried out twice in one month, each with a value of Rp. 300 thousand, starting from April 2020 to June 2020.
In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, the government prepared three specific types of social assistance for affected communities. First, basic food assistance from the central government for DKI Jakarta residents amounting to Rp 600,000 per month is valid for 3 months.
Secondly, social assistance for people in the areas of Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi is Rp 600 thousand per month, for three months. Third, Social Aid for people outside Jabodetabek in the form of BLT for 9 million households in the amount of Rp 600 thousand per month for 3 months.
Director General of Poor Management of the Ministry of Social Affairs Asep Sasa Purnama said, to date BLT has been given to 2 million households from a target of 9 million households. Distribution of cash Bansos is targeted to be completed in the third week of May 2020 before Eid al-Fitr.
Asep said the social security program was aimed at poor families affected by Covid-19. For distribution, it collaborates with PT Pos Indonesia with a channeling strategy or distributed to a predetermined place.
The Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture (Menko PMK), Muhadjir Effendy ensured that the distribution of the President’s social assistance to the affected communities of Covid-19 was going well.
The Minister of PMK also mentioned that the synchronization between the Bansos of the President and the Bansos of Provinces and cities was very good.
One example, the mechanism of distribution of Social Aid in South Tangerang City is certain that there is no overlap with assistance from Banten Province and the Government of South Tangerang City, both basic food assistance and cash direct assistance, amounting to Rp 600 thousand.
Following up on the South Tangerang Mayor’s report that there was still a remaining quota of 12 thousand families, from the 75,000 ceiling. Until now, the number of families affected by Covid-19, whose data is already in Ministry of Social Affairs 63 thousands of families, and has been distributed until May 14 At 12.00 as many as 35,089 Kk or 55.7%
Muhadjir instructed that the remaining quota be used according to what was needed. Primarily to those affected due to loss of work due to layoffs, Ojol and also traders or day laborers.
Regarding the recipient’s data, he promised that he would continue to be improved in the next distribution and the important thing was that the Social Aid could be distributed as soon as possible to the people who were really affected and needed it most.
Muhadjir said, if there is something that is not on target then we will fix it, if there is one that has not been listed in the first round, it will be proposed at a later stage, given the current state of emergency so that it must be flexible.
Nevertheless, he added that the government was very open to criticism and input for the smooth process of distribution of Social Security, especially the problem of improving data in the field.
This social assistance is a stimulus given by the government to communities affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Increased layoffs make public purchasing power decrease, so that the central or regional government needs to intervene to provide assistance to people in need.
It is our hope that all of the social assistance can be distributed to people who really need it and are not mistaken.
) * The writer is a Pakuan Bogor University Student
