By: Ari Baskara )*
Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, the government has provided social assistance to the people. The community also appreciates the various social assistances because they are able to ease the economic burden of the people affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The pandemic made almost all of them difficult because their financial capacity had drastically decreased. It’s not only the lower class people who are affected, but also the middle class and even the upper class. The declining purchasing power of the people is clearly detrimental to traders, and they think long about how to survive.
At the beginning of the pandemic, the government immediately moved quickly by distributing social assistance in the form of food packages. This social assistance was chosen because rice and other types of food are basic needs, and people who are still told to stay at home definitely need them. However, rice etc. was replaced with cash to make it more practical and could not be used as a promotional tool for prospective rogue officials.
The community appreciates the social assistance provided by the government, because it is a form of concern for them. Even though the social assistance was changed from basic necessities to cash, it should be grateful, because it can be used to make a living. In fact, it is actually more practical if the social assistance is in the form of money, because it is directly transferred to the account, so it cannot be circumcised by unscrupulous employees.
The assistance given is also not all at once, but in installments up to 4 times. With the hope, each month can be spent wisely. It is different if cash assistance is given at once, because the nominal is large and there is fear that it will be used to buy something expensive, and even become consumptive. Whereas this Social Assistance should be used for daily living expenses, not for extravagance.
The social assistance provided also varies, not only cash for ordinary people, but also for MSME entrepreneurs. The reason is because their economy was also shaken during the pandemic, and the purchasing power of the people had decreased drastically, so many shops were deserted. So that SMEs should be assisted by the government.
Moreover, MSMEs are the backbone of the Indonesian economy, so they must be assisted by the government. If MSMEs are strong, the state’s finances are also strong. So it is hoped that no one will be jealous of MSMEs because they also have economic difficulties during the pandemic.
The community is also happy because the government provides other assistance, apart from Social Assistance and BLT for SMEs. The unemployed also receive assistance in the form of a pre-employment card, so they can gain skills to be able to open their own business. With these skills, they can become quality entrepreneurs. Besides getting skills, they also get a decent pocket money from the government.
The unemployed must also be assisted because during the pandemic, more and more people lose their jobs, or are forced to retire early. Whereas the number of unemployed can cause new social problems, because there is the potential for an increase in crime. How terrible. Therefore, the pre-employment card is a solution to reduce the number of unemployed in Indonesia.
Another aid provided by the government is wage subsidy assistance. Employees whose salaries are minimal can be happy because they get special social assistance from the government. So that those whose average salary is cut, will get extra money.
The government is committed to providing a lot of assistance to the community, both lower and upper levels. All are entitled to receive assistance because it is based on the principle of justice. This is praised by the people because the president really thinks about the fate of his people.
Various assistances have been provided by the government, ranging from BLT, social assistance, wage subsidies, to pre-employment cards. Everything is given equally to the community, because almost all Indonesian citizens are affected by the pandemic.
)* The author is a contributor to the Press Circle and Cikini Students
