Local Governments Should Not Delay The Distribution Of BLT Funds, People Cannot Be Victims

KUDUS - Deputy Chairperson of the MPR Lestari Moerdijat asked regional heads not to delay or harbor direct cash assistance (BLT) funds that have been budgeted to assist the community in dealing with the crisis due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Local governments are expected to be responsive to central government policies and the current crisis conditions by not delaying, let alone harboring BLT funds that are much needed and awaited by the people," said Lestari, quoted by Antara, Thursday, July 22.

According to him, the distribution of BLT funds is not new for local governments, because it has been going on for a long time and each region already has data on recipients of aid to villages.

"So, there is no reason to linger in the process of disbursing and distributing the social assistance funds," he said.

Armed with experience in distributing BLT so far, according to this member of Commission X of the DPR RI, in addition to being responsive, local governments must also act quickly and diligently in distributing them to people who are entitled to receive them.

Even if there are obstacles in the distribution, he said, the regional government must immediately find out the source of the problem and quickly determine a way out to overcome it because they are currently in a pandemic situation.

"Don't let the obstacles come from the bureaucracy, but who become victims of the small people who don't know anything," he continued.

Lestari reminded that these funds are urgently needed to stimulate the purchasing power of the people who are slumped, due to the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, so the disbursement must be immediate.

The COVID-19 pandemic that lasted for 1.5 years, said Lestari Moerdijat again, had provided many valuable lessons, especially in dealing with various common problems, problems of the nation and state.

"The pandemic forces everyone to work professionally and quickly respond to various problems around them. Don't let unprofessionalism cause suffering for those who should get help from the state," he warned.

Previously, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati revealed that the local government was slow in distributing BLT to villages. In fact, there is a budget of Rp. 28.8 trillion, or 30 percent of the Rp. 72 trillion village fund, which is channeled by the central government for community assistance. With this budget, residents should be able to receive assistance of Rp. 300 thousand per month.

However, only 5.2 million families have received it. In fact, the village BLT can be given to 8 million beneficiary families, so they can get 300 thousand rupiah per month for 12 months.