DKI Bansos Irregularities: Unpublished Legal Basis

JAKARTA - The DKI Provincial Government has distributed social assistance (bansos) to 1.2 million poor families in Jakarta to ease the burden of life amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, there was something strange about the distribution of social assistance that had been going on for 11 days. Until now, the Governor of DKI Jakarta Anies Baswedan has not published the legal basis, namely the governor's decision regarding the provision of social assistance.

In fact, every policy taken by a region must comply with legal rules that guide activities, including the provision of social assistance as one of the handling of the COVID-19 outbreak. This rule of law must be made known to the public.

According to a political budget researcher from the Indonesia Budget Center (IBC), Roy Salam, the issuance of the governor's decision must be carried out because it is in accordance with the mandate of DKI Jakarta Governor Regulation Number 33 of 2020 concerning the implementation of Large-Scale Social Restrictions (PSBB).

Article 21 Paragraph (3) of Pergub 33/2020 states that the determination of recipients of social assistance provided in the form of basic goods and / or other direct assistance is stipulated by a Governor Decree.

"However, the ministerial decree in question does not exist, either in official publication (on the official website of the DKI Provincial Government) or in the news media," Roy said on Sunday, April 20.

"In fact, this Kepgub is important as a formal legality in the distribution of social assistance and a reference in evaluating the targeting, effectiveness and accountability of aid funds," he continued.

With the governor's decision not being published, Roy questioned the appropriateness of the accumulation of data on aid recipients. This is because social assistance must be given to residents whose economic conditions have been seriously affected by COVID-19.

Roy understands that the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government has disseminated information about social assistance, both through the official announcement of DKI Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan and uploads on social media.

As explained by Anies, the database of social assistance recipients are those who routinely receive existing assistance, namely data on KJP Plus holders, KJMU, Cheap Food Programs, Elderly Cards, Disability Cards, PBI BPJS, and Worker Cards.

Not only that, social assistance is also given to families whose income is below IDR 5 million per month, employees who have been laid off, and people who have been forced to close their businesses due to COVID-19.

During the enactment of the Large-Scale Social Restrictions (PSBB) period, the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government has distributed basic necessities, since Thursday (9/4) according to schedule, to 1.2 million poor and vulnerable families of COVID-19. social assistance pic.twitter.com/jLrn0W4Clv

- DKI Jakarta Provincial Government (@DKIJakarta) April 15, 2020

However, referring to the data submitted by the DKI Provincial Government, the assistance they provided was only for 1.2 million families. If the existing aid recipients in 2019 alone reached 1.1 million families, this means that this number has only touched the data of existing aid recipients.

"The distribution of basic food packages is only targeting existing recipient families. So, the group of recipients of basic food package assistance has not targeted other vulnerable groups of people who are also affected by the PSBB," he said.

Therefore, Roy asked the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government to be more transparent in disclosing data on social assistance recipients for Jakarta residents as well as issuing the governor's decision regarding this social assistance.

"Without a clear legal basis, social assistance funds can cause confusion in the allocation and distribution," he said.

For information, the DKI Provincial Government is implementing a social assistance program during the PSBB period. This assistance is aimed at the poor and vulnerable to poverty due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

In detail, the assistance provided was in the form of a package of staple food commodities, namely 5 kg 1 sack of rice, 2 cans of protein foodstuffs, 1 pack of cooking oil 0.9 liter, 2 packs of biscuits, 2 cloth masks, and 2 sticks of soap. No cash assistance was provided.

One social assistance package that has been distributed and packaged by Perumda Pasar Jaya is worth IDR 149,500. However, the aid will be sent four times with a total aid of Rp. 600 thousand for one household.

Meanwhile, 100,323 packages have been distributed to 14 urban villages in East Jakarta, North Jakarta, South Jakarta and Central Jakarta.