VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

BLT disbursal for eight million beneficiaries - 

The Indonesian government is expediting the disbursal of village fund cash transfers (BLT) for eight million beneficiaries to support them during the implementation of emergency public activity restrictions (PPKM).

The distribution of village fund cash transfers will be critical during the emergency PPKM enforcement, particularly in the red zones with a high risk of COVID-19 transmission, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said.

“(The village fund cash transfers) will be disbursed to poor or underprivileged residents in the villages, with the amount of money Rp300 thousand per beneficiary group per month; so it is projected to reach eight million beneficiary groups, with the total budget of Rp28.8 trillion,” Indrawati informed during an online press conference, originating from here on Friday.

Village funds to the tune of Rp72 trillion will be prioritized for the village fund transfers to assist poor residents in villages hit hard by COVID-19, she said. As of July 1, 2021, the village fund disbursal had reached 38.1 percent, or Rp27.41 trillion, of the total allocation, she explained.

Meanwhile, the realization of village funds allocated for village fund cash transfers stood at just Rp5.05 trillion, or 15.5 percent, of the target, while the number of family beneficiaries (KPM) receiving the funds stood at 5.02 million, the minister disclosed.

“It means, of the village funds, there is still a very adequate budget since only five million (people) have received (the monetary assistance) and only Rp5 trillion that has been spent,” Indrawati highlighted.

Of the total beneficiaries, 49.2 percent, or 2.46 million, will be farm workers; 4.32 percent, or 216.05 thousand, will be merchants and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs); 3.31 percent, or 165.503 thousand, will be fishermen and fishing workers; 1.94 percent, or 96.99 thousand, will be factory workers; 0.9 percent, or 9.38 thousand, will be teachers; and, 31 percent, or 1.55 million, will belong to other groups, Indrawati informed.

To accelerate the disbursal of village fund cash transfers, the government will relax its receipt through beneficiary confirmation by reviewing poor residents in the villages based on beneficiary data collected in 2020 and allowing village committees the flexibility to add beneficiaries.

“The village fund cash transfers can also be disbursed on a quarterly basis and we will announce this new policy this month, so during the emergency PPKM, the public is able to receive the assistance on time,” Indrawati remarked//ANT