VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The president during an inspection of the distribution of social assistance in Johar Baru, Jakarta, Monday (May 18, 2020). ANTARA/HO-Press Bureau of the Presidential Secretariat/Luke

President Joko Widodo clarified that the government had yet to issue a policy to ease large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) implemented in Indonesia to thwart the transmission of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

"I want to emphasize that there is no policy on easing the PSBB," President Widodo stated in Jakarta on Monday.

The head of state delivered the statement during a limited meeting themed, "Accelerating the Handling of the COVID-19 Pandemic," with the participants comprising Vice President Ma'ruf Amin, the Indonesian Cabinet ministers and chairman of the Task Force for the Acceleration of Coronavirus Handling, as well as Head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Doni Monardo.

"What we have prepared is only a plan or an easing scenario that will be decided after the right timing is achieved and evaluating data and facts on the field. We must be vigilant and exercise caution amid plans to ease large-scale social restrictions (PSBB)," the president reiterated.

Currently, four provinces and 22 districts and cities have enforced PSBB to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

"In this week and the next, the government will continue to focus on the ban on returning to hometowns," the president remarked.

President Widodo also instructed National Police Chief General Pol. Idham Azis and TNI Commander Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto to strengthen the homecoming ban.

One of the instances of blatant violation of PSBB by the community was the influx of passengers at the Soekarno-Hatta Airport on Thursday, May 14, 2020.

PT Angkasa Pura II (Persero) acknowledged that prospective passengers, generally using Lion Air, had congregated at the travel document checkpoint at Terminal 2 of the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport at 4:00 WIB. However, AP II claimed that by around 5:00 WIB, a queue was no longer seen until Thursday afternoon.

On that day, the number of passengers increased to five thousand, the highest since May 7, 2020, when the flights resumed, although only 4,300 passengers were recorded a day before.

In addition, the community thronged street vendors at the Tanah Abang Market, Central Jakarta, on Sunday, May 17, despite the PSBB being applied in the Jakarta area.

The visitors flocked the street vendors to look at the merchandise, mostly clothing, some of which they brought for their children. The visitors seemed to not care a fig about the government's call for physical distancing.

As of Sunday (May 17), the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Indonesia had reached 17,514, with 4,129 people declared cured and 1,148 people succumbing to the disease, while the number of patients under surveillance (PDP) reached 35,800 and those in monitoring (ODP) totaled 270,876, with specimens of a total of 187,965 people tested.

Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko emphasized that the government would encounter difficulties in countering the COVID-19 pandemic in the absence of active participation of the public.

"Without public participation, the government will face difficulties in the fight against the pandemic," Moeldoko noted in a statement here on Monday.

The presidential chief of staff commended the initiative to edify and encourage the people to become actively involved in the fight against COVID-19, including in the development of the 10 Safe Houses application in several regions.

"Alhamdulillah (Thank God), the 10 Safe Houses Program has been developed in some cities across the country. Each of them works in accordance with the respective capacity," he remarked. (ATARA)

Photo Archive. President Joko Widodo while preparing to review the delivery of social assistance to residents affected by the COVID-19 pandemic at the Bogor Post Office, West Java, Wednesday (13/5/2020). ANTARA

President Joko Widodo inspected the distribution of third phase of the food aid to beneficiary families in Johar Baru, Central Jakarta, on Monday.

"I want to ensure the distribution of staple foods to the community, especially in Greater Jakarta. The community has received food assistance," President Widodo remarked in Johar Baru, Central Jakarta, on Monday.

"The second tranche of assistance was received. Today, the third phase of aid has been received," he confirmed.

Dressed in a long-sleeved white shirt and black cloth mask, the president, accompanied by Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy and Social Affairs Minister Juliari Batubara, inspected the distribution of basic food aid to residents.

"We hope that the assistance would be faster and smoother in future," the president stated in connection with the distribution of social assistance to people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

After delivering a brief statement, the president departed from Johar Baru.

The inspection of the distribution of staple food assistance in Johar Baru was the second review of the disbursal of social aid to residents impacted by COVID-19 conducted by the president.

On May 13, 2020, the president had reviewed the distribution of social assistance at the Bogor City Post Office located in proximity to the Bogor Presidential Palace.

The government conducted several social safety net programs under the efforts to mitigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Assistance in the government's social safety net program amounts to Rp110 trillion.

In this case, the government has, among others, channeled financial assistance through a regular program in the form of the Family Hope Program (PKH), with a target of 10 million beneficiary families, with values varying in accordance with the familial conditions and assistance in the nine-basic necessities program valued at Rp200 thousand per family for 20 million beneficiary families.

The government has also distributed non-regular social assistance in the form of basic food aid worth Rp600 thousand per month for each family for a period of three months for 1.9 million families in Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi (Greater Jakarta) and direct cash assistance for nine million families in Greater Jakarta.

In addition, the government has channeled assistance through the Pre-Employment Card Program for 5.6 million recipients, offering funds of Rp20 trillion for the distribution of aid under the scheme from April to December 2020.

Other social assistance provided is in the form of free electricity for 450-VA customers and a 50-percent discount for 900-VA customers for electricity usage from April to June 2020.

Furthermore, direct cash assistance worth Rp600 thousand monthly per family is provided from the village fund for 12.3 million targeted families from April to June 2020. (ANTARA)

Residents of Banyuanyar neighborhood in Solo, Central Java, wait for cash transfers at the neighborhood authority's office on May 15, 2020. (ANTARA PHOTO)

The Indonesian Government has promised to distribute social aid funds to 8.3 million beneficiary households that have been severely affected by the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, ahead of Idul Fitri, due on May 24.

The disbursement of social aid funds to 8.3 million of 9 million beneficiary households would be completed within five days, prior to the Idul Fitri celebration, Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture, Muhadjir Effendy, said in Jakarta on Monday.

Around 700,000 other beneficiary households residing in remote areas of Indonesia would receive cash transfers after the Idul Fitri celebration, he told newsmen at a press conference.

The social aid funds would be delivered to eligible recipients through state-owned postal service firm PT Pos Indonesia, he said.

Related news: Jokowi urges ministries to expedite disbursement of social assistance
Related news: DKI Jakarta's social aid packages incorporate six essential items

President Joko Widodo has asked bureaucrats to expedite the disbursement of social aid packages to beneficiary households across the country.

The novel coronavirus disease, or COVID-19, which initially emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan at the end of 2019, has since spread to at least 202 countries and territories, including Indonesia, with a massive increase in death toll.

The Indonesian Government officially announced the country's first confirmed cases on March 2 this year. The ongoing pandemic has weakened the purchasing power of scores of Indonesian families, particularly those who have lost their jobs.

In Bogor City, the administration has transferred cash, or "Bantuan Langsung Tunai" (BLT), to as many as 23,000 families that have been severely affected by the economic fallout of the coronavirus outbreak.

The cash transfers were distributed to the recipients' homes with the help of PT Pos Indonesia on April 28, 2020, Bogor Deputy Mayor Dedie A Rachim revealed recently.

To break the chain of COVID-19 transmission, large-scale social restrictions have been enforced in several cities, including Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, Bekasi, and Pekanbaru.

The central government has also banned homebound travel, locally known as “mudik”, during the fasting month of Ramadhan and the Idul Fitri holiday season. (ANTARA)

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has appealed to related ministries to accelerate the distribution of social assistance to those impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We are upbeat about the next distribution (of social assistance) being conducted in a faster and smoother manner," the head of state remarked after observing the distribution of social assistance in Johar Baru Sub-district, Jakarta, on Monday.

A total of 23,937 families in the sub-district received social assistance under the third phase of distribution.

The government has disbursed the third phase of social assistance to 961 thousand families of the total 1,215,237 beneficiaries in the capital city.

"The first and second phase (of the assistance) were already distributed. Yesterday and today, the people received (social assistance) under the third phase of distribution," Jokowi added.

The government has worked jointly with state-owned postal service company and motor-taxi drivers to facilitate direct distribution of social assistance to the beneficiaries' homes to avoid crowds and to lower the risk of COVID-19 transmission.

According to the city’s COVID-19 website, 1,178,173 households in the capital were registered as recipients of the assistance, while Jakarta has targeted to distribute the aid to 1.2 million households.

Names of the aid recipients were stipulated in Gubernatorial Decree No. 386 of 2020 as well as the contents of the aid package worth Rp275 thousand each. During the period from April to June 2020, two packages per month were given to each household. (ANTARA)