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Secretary to the Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Susiwijono Moegiarso in a media briefing in Jakarta, Friday. (April 8, 2022). ANTARA/Agatha Olivia - 

The government has distributed cash assistance for street vendors, stalls, and fishermen (BT-PKLWN) through the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the National Police (Polri) from March 15, 2022, to April 8, 2022.

The cash assistance for BT-PKLWN was given to 356,825 recipients.

"Some Rp600 thousand is given for BT-PKLWN for street vendors, stalls, and fishermen in 212 districts and cities," Secretary to the Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Susiwijono Moegiarso noted in a media briefing here, Friday.

Moegiarso explained that the BT-PKLWN provided by the National Police had begun to be distributed on March 15, 2022, in Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara, and so far, it had reached 354,740 recipients out of the targeted 2.7 million.

The BT-PKLWN distributed by TNI from April 7, 2022, until now, has been given to 2,085 recipients.

In addition to BT-PKLWN amounting to Rp600 thousand, Moegiarso remarked that the government will provide direct cash assistance (BLT) for cooking oil worth Rp300 thousand to 2.5 million recipients, mainly to street vendors or food stalls in 514 districts and cities.

BLT worth Rp300 thousand is given for each recipient for a total of three months, so each recipient receives BLT worth Rp100 thousand per month for cooking oil. However, the distribution will be conducted directly for three months this Ramadan and no later than one week before Eid al-Fitr.

He remarked that the calculation of BLT for cooking oil was Rp100 thousand per month based on the assumption that the cooking oil requirement per week was 0.23 liters based on data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS).

"Thus, in one month, there is a requirement for one liter of cooking oil per person. Thus, if a family has four people, then the amount is around Rp100 thousand," he explained.

Moegiarso stated that direct cash assistance for cooking oil was not only given through the BT-PKLWN Program but would also be offered through the food assistance program under the Ministry of Social Affairs (Kemensos) to 20.65 million recipients.

All aid, comprising BT-PKLWN, BLT for cooking oil, and food assistance, are included in the 2022 National Economic Recovery (PEN) Program//ANT