By: Andi Kurniawan)*
Direct fuel oil cash assistance (BLT BBM) is the Government’s social cushioning policy that has many benefits. Besides being able to prevent inflation, the distribution of BLT is expected to be able to maintain people’s purchasing power.
When the price of Pertalite and Solar fuels undergoes an adjustment, the government provides compensation to the community in the form of BLT BBM. They will be able to enjoy cash worth Rp. 600,000 which can be disbursed through the Post Office. BLT BBM is an effective way to stabilize the Indonesian economy, and has many benefits.
The community appreciates the provision of BLT BBM because it is given to all Indonesian people. The government plans to distribute BLT BBM to more than 20 million Indonesian citizens.
Eddy Soeparno, Deputy Chairman of Commission VII DPR RI stated that BLT BBM is a step that brings many benefits. One of them in helping meet the needs of people’s lives. In a sense, the BLT BBM funds will be able to be spent so that the small people’s kitchens are safe, because they can still contain basic necessities and various other basic needs.
BLT BBM can meet the needs of people’s lives because the nominal value is considered sufficient to buy rice, oil, and other kitchen needs. The government has already estimated how much the budget for the low-income people will spend, before determining the amount of BLT BBM. With money of Rp. 660,000 then approximately will be able to cover the needs of the community and they will not lack food and clothing.
BLT BBM given in cash is also useful, because it can be directly spent on the market. It’s different if BLT is given in the form of basic food packages (such as BLT at the beginning of the pandemic, last 2020). If the aid from the government is in the form of goods, it cannot be spent, and the small people cannot choose which type of rice they eat every day.
Meanwhile, Reja Anggara, Secretary of the Student Executive Board (BEM) Nusantara, stated that BLT BBM is a solution from the government. So far, the government knows how to overcome the impact of fuel price adjustments. Later people will still have purchasing power (because there is BLT BBM).
BLT BBM can maintain the purchasing power of the poor because it is given in the form of cash. Later the money can be spent by the public to the market, so there will be transactions there. If there are many transactions, then there is a very fast flow of money, and it has a positive effect on the wheels of the country’s economy.
The people’s purchasing power must be maintained because if the market is suspended, then the wheels of the economy can stall, and it is dangerous for the state’s financial condition. Therefore, the government provides a transfer of subsidies through BLT BBM, so that they can directly buy various needs of the poor.
Therefore, the public appreciates the provision of BLT BBM because the government is thinking about how to keep the wheels of the economy running, when gasoline prices are adjusted. The people’s economy must be kept from collapsing. One way is to distribute BLT BBM as a safety cushion from their financial condition.
President Jokowi advised the people that BLT BBM should not be bought for consumer goods such as cellphones. However, you can buy basic necessities. Message from the President which is also an order to his staff, to accelerate the distribution of BLT BBM throughout Indonesia. The reason is because in mid-September 2022, only 40% of BLT was distributed.
BLT will quickly be distributed through Post Offices throughout Indonesia and the public can check whether they are entitled to receive it through the Ministry of Social Affairs website. People also queue happily, because they will get cash. The nominal is also 100% intact because there is no potential for illegal levies in providing BLT BBM
Money from BLT BBM is also not saved in a bank or stored in a piggy bank. But it must be spent until it runs out. The government has repeatedly socialized that BLT BBM must be purchased for various basic needs of the community.
Why BLT BBM must be spent? First, the purpose of BLT is to meet the basic needs of the community. They can still buy rice, sugar, etc. even if the price changes, as a result of the fuel price adjustment. BLT BBM is not intended as a reserve fund that can be put into savings.
Second, BLT was bought for basic needs, not tertiary needs like HP. The reason is because small people need to buy rice more than cellphones, which still need credit, quotas, etc. Indeed, we have entered the era of information technology. However, they must prioritize primary needs such as basic necessities.
BLT BBM is an agile step for the government to overcome various things that can happen, as a result of changes in Pertalite and Solar prices. BLT is an economic cushion so that the poor can still buy basic necessities, and their kitchens can still smoke. The community appreciates BLT BBM in
