Pontianak Mayor Ensures No ASN Can Get Social Assistance

JAKARTA - The Mayor of Pontianak, Edi Rusdi Kamtono ensured that no state civil apparatus (ASN) received social assistance from the government in his area.

"Although there are no rules prohibiting it, I am sure there will be sanctions for ASN who are found to have abused their authority related to social assistance," said Edi in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, Thursday, November 25, quoted from Antara.

He explained that the distribution of social assistance from the central government was carried out based on data that was verified and validated every six months in Pontianak City.

According to him, the city government is trying to ensure that social assistance reaches the right target and will impose sanctions on government officials who are proven to have violated the distribution of social assistance.

"We hope that the people who receive the social assistance are the ones who really can't afford it and need help," he said.

Previously, Minister of Social Affairs Tri Rismaharini revealed that there were 31,624 ASN who were indicated to receive social assistance from the Ministry of Social Affairs through the Family Hope Program (PKH) and the Non-Cash Food Assistance Program (BPNT).

The Ministry of Social Affairs has asked local governments to re-examine the data on civil servants who are indicated to receive social assistance from the government even though they are not entitled to receive it.