VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati. ANTARA/HO-kemnkeu.go.id - 

The Indonesian Government has decided to expedite funding disbursement for the Family Hope Program (PKH) and Basic Food Card (Kartu Sembako) in early July in response to the enforcement of emergency micro-scale public activities restriction (PPKM).

"For this third quarter, we will accelerate the disbursement in July. Beneficiaries of the program will receive the funding for three months at once in July," Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati stated during a virtual press conference here on Friday.

Fund allocation for PKH in 2021 has reached Rp28.31 trillion. As of the second quarter of the year, Rp13.96 trillion was disbursed to the beneficiaries.

Of the total disbursement, Rp6.83 trillion went to 9.67 million beneficiaries in the first quarter and Rp7.3 trillion was distributed to 9.9 million beneficiaries in the second quarter.

"We hope to achieve the target of 10 million beneficiaries and different assistance index depending on the family composition," Sri Mulyani remarked.

Annual social assistance of Rp3 million is allocated for pregnant mothers and pre-school children, Rp900 thousand for elementary school children, Rp1.5 million for junior high school students, Rp2 million for senior high school students, and Rp2.4 million for disabled and senior citizens.

Meanwhile, funding allocation for the basic food card reaches Rp42.37 trillion in 2021, but as of June, only Rp17.75 trillion had been distributed to 15.9 million beneficiaries, out of the 18.8 million beneficiaries.

"Some three million beneficiaries have yet to receive the aid of Rp200 thousand per month," she noted.

The government has also extended the disbursement of Cash Social Assistance for two months to support people impacted by the imposition of the emergency micro PPKM.

Aid, totaling Rp11.94 trillion for 9.6 million beneficiaries, with each receiving Rp300 thousand per month, was initially solely offered for the January-April period.

The government has raised the budget for the aid by Rp6.1 trillion for the extension, targeting 10 million beneficiaries in 34 provinces, which will be disbursed at once in July, Sri Mulyani stated//ANT