City Government Threatens Bengkulu Residents To Fine IDR 1 Million If They Give Money To Beggars

Illustration of Satpol PP rules street children and beggars. (Between)

BENGKULU - The Bengkulu City Government (Pemkot) confirmed that it would impose a fine of Rp. 1 million to its citizens who were caught giving money to beggars and homeless people. This is in accordance with Bengkulu City Regional Regulation (Perda) number 07 of 2017 that activities or begging on the streets, both those carried out by beggars, street children and homeless people, are prohibited. Both those who ask and those who give can be subject to sanctions in the form of three months in prison or a fine of Rp. 1 million. "Those who give can also be subject to fines of Rp. 1 million or imprisonment for three months. Why is this regulated and prohibited, because giving money to beggars and street children only teaches them to be lazy. In addition, begging on the streets is also disturbing," said the Head of the Bengkulu City Social Service (Dinsos) Sahat Situmorang City in Bengkulu City, Thursday 2 November, confiscated by Antara. Oleh, his party continues to disseminate socialization and education of gepengers (lands and beggars) in the Bengkulu City area to not continue their activities on the side of the road. However, if the socialization is not heeded, then his party will conduct raids with Satpol PP to secure these gepengs and implement the 07 of 2017. Meanwhile, from January to August 2023 has carried out control and arrested 200 more homeless guesthouses consisting of homeless and beggars, silverman, punk people and people with mental disorders (ODGJ)

Sahat explained, the control efforts carried out were carried out to maintain public security and order, because many residents who reported acts of theft to disturb public order. After being brought under control, the homeless people were carried out through shelters, while for gepeng, punk children and others who came from outside the region would be returned to their area of origin. for Gepeng, punk children and others there are some who do not come from Bengkulu City, but from Jambi Province, Lubuk Linggau City, South Sumatra Province, and Lampung Province. "Prolonged and beggars are also collected to find out the background and related to training and coaching to open a business or work," he said.