VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Villagers involved in the maintenance of an irrigation network as part of the cash labor-intensive program. ANTARA/HO-Public Works and Public Housing Ministry/sh

The Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Ministry reported that 163,003 workers were absorbed under the cash labor-intensive program in the water resource sector as of Aug 18.

"In addition to boosting the people's purchasing power, the cash labor-intensive program is aimed at distributing cash to rural areas. The program should be implemented with strict adherence to health protocols and practicing social distancing to prevent the transmission of COVID-19," PUPR Minister Basuki Hadimuljono noted in a statement in Jakarta on Friday.

The ministry's Directorate General of Water Resources has apportioned budget amounting to Rp3.34 trillion for implementing the program in 2020 at 14,618 locations that will involve 264,471 workers.

As of August 18, the program has involved 163,003 people comprising 155,500 farmers, 6,483 members of the river-care community, and 1,020 other community members.

The total funding disbursed during the period had reached Rp1.26 trillion, or some 37.75 percent of the budget.

The program has been implemented for the development of an irrigation system at 10 thousand locations in 33 provinces, with budget reaching Rp2.25 billion. As of August, 96,348 workers were absorbed at 2,608 locations.

A targeted 17,090 people will be absorbed for the maintenance of irrigation networks and swamp areas. The program had involved 25,981 people as of August.

The river and beach maintenance operation at 751 locations is targeting 13,131 workers, while as of August, 6,483 people were absorbed at 260 locations.

The groundwater maintenance operation covers 2,124 locations, and as of August, it was implemented at 857 locations, with 462 people being absorbed. (ANTARA)