Social Minister Affirms Social Assistance From The State Budget Is Not Postponed Its Distribution Ahead Of The Pilkada Vote

JAKARTA - Minister of Social Affairs Saifullah Yusuf (Mensos Gus Ipul) emphasized that the distribution of social assistance (bansos) using the State Revenue and Expenditure Budget (APBN) will not be delayed ahead of the 2024 regional head election (Pilkada).

Gus Ipul explained that the postponement of the distribution of social assistance to anticipate politicization ahead of the 2024 regional elections only applies to social assistance that uses the Regional Revenue and Expenditure Budget (APBD).

"No, it's not postponed. If the APBD is postponed. If the APBN is allowed. I have coordinated, the important thing must be measured, yes, it must be effective," said Gus Ipul as quoted by ANTARA, Friday, November 15.

He explained that the provision of social assistance from his party did not meet directly with the beneficiary community, but through a transfer method by cooperating with the Association of State Banks (Himbara) or PT. Pos Indonesia so that it was confirmed that politicization was free.

Gus Ipul also emphasized that he would impose strict sanctions if he later found that someone had abused the provision of social assistance from the Ministry of Social Affairs.

He also appealed to the beneficiaries of social assistance to take advantage of the assistance from the central government as it should, namely to buy nutritious food intake, education needs for school children to fulfill the nutrition of pregnant women, and not the other way around, such as online gambling or online loans.

Earlier on Wednesday (13/11), the Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri) issued a Circular (SE) to the local government (Pemda) which regulates the delay in the distribution of social assistance (bansos) from the Regional Revenue and Expenditure Budget (APBD) ahead of the 2024 Simultaneous Regional Head Elections.

Deputy Minister of Home Affairs (Wamendagri) Bima Arya Sugiarto emphasized that the regulation was exempted from areas experiencing disasters, such as the Province of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).

"So, it should be understood that this social assistance was postponed, especially those sourced from the APBD," Bima said when met by the media crew at the KPU office, Jakarta.