Social Minister Risma Denied By Central Jakarta City Government Concerning ASN In Menteng Receiving Social Assistance: Minister Needs To Check, Is ASN Active Or Not

Photo Archive - Officers document the door-to-door distribution of Cash Social Assistance (BST) in the Chinatown area of Glodok, Jakarta, Sunday (25/7/2021). BETWEEN PHOTOS/Reno Esnir/rwa.

JAKARTA - The Central Jakarta City Government confirmed that no State Civil Apparatus (ASN) actively living in the Menteng area received social assistance from the Ministry of Social Affairs.

"I checked, no ASN received, maybe retired. If a retired former school guard is also ASN. The Minister also needs to check who the ASN is, active or not?," said Deputy Mayor of Central Jakarta, Irwandi when confirmed in Jakarta, reported by Antara, Friday, November 19.

The statement was in response to Social Minister Tri Rismaharini who revealed that there were 28,965 active ASN suspected of receiving the Family Hope Program (PKH) and Non-Cash Food Assistance (BPNT) social assistance.

The Minister of Social Affairs also mentioned that one ASN who lives in the Menteng area, Central Jakarta (Jakpus), also received the social assistance.

The Central Jakarta City Government (Pemkot) denied this. "Nothing, if it is proven that we have crossed out the data. That's data from the Ministry of Social Affairs, not from us, except from DKI, we have it, we are looking for it," said Irwandi.

According to Irwandi, the data on social assistance recipients comes from the Integrated Social Welfare Data (DTKS) compiled by the Ministry of Social Affairs (Kemensos).

Therefore, the Ministry of Social Affairs needs to coordinate with the provincial, city and kelurahan levels to verify the recipients of the aid so that the target is not misdirected.

"The data from the Ministry of Social Affairs is 'top down', not from DKI, especially from us. That's why the Ministry of Social Affairs needs to sit down with the local government, with the mayor, with the region, village head, sub-district head, RT so as not to get the wrong target," he said.

On the previous occasion, the Minister for Administrative Reform and Bureaucratic Reform (Menpan RB) Tjahjo Kumolo said there needed to be a deeper examination whether the ASN was deliberately cheating to get social assistance (bansos).

According to him, sanctions or penalties for ASN recipients of social assistance need to be studied further.

In addition, Tjahjo considered that there was a need for a review related to updating the data on social assistance recipients so that only people who were truly entitled to receive assistance.