Social Assistance Funds It Is Expected To Be Able To Increase Community Buyness

Illustration. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Deputy Chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) of North Sulawesi, Ivanry Matu, said that the disbursement of social assistance funds for the transfer of fuel subsidies is expected to increase purchasing power. "The transfer of fuel subsidies for SMEs and labor can be a government strategy in order to reduce the turmoil of fuel rising," said Ivanry, in Manado, quoted from Antara, Saturday, September 3. He said that because with this subsidy, SMEs or low-income workers can maintain purchasing power when prices need to increase due to the increasing impact of fuel. Ivanry said this increase must also be balanced by maintaining the exchange rate of farmers because the domino effect of increasing fuel has not only had an impact on SMEs and workers but in many work sectors such as building workers, angkot drivers, online drivers and farmers. For this business sector, he said, it becomes < interim medicine ” when workers feel income is not commensurate with expenditures due to rising basic necessities. On the other hand, he said, Kadin hopes that this subsidy will be right on target, meaning that the distribution to SMEs that really need to be subsidized. Because, he said, from the previous COVID-19 assistance experience, there were still many SMEs that were affected and should have been helped, but access limitations ultimately did not receive assistance because this was also related to data that was not accurate. Senior Supervisor Communication & Relations of Pertamina Patra Niaga Sulawesi Taufiq Kurniawan said the government had announced an increase in fuel prices today. The increase in the price of pertalite subsidized fuel from Rp. 7,650.00 per liter to Rp. 10,000/liter; subsidized diesel from Rp. 5,150.00/liter to Rp. 6,800.00/liter; and non-subsidized Pertamax from Rp. 12,500.00/liter to Rp. 14,500.00/liter which has been in effect since Saturday, September 3, 2022, at 14.30 WIB. Pertamina, he said, would ensure the availability of its stock and resilience in North Sulawesi for the next few days. The type of social assistance for transferring fuel subsidies is BLT of Rp 12.4 T. The first social assistance to be provided is direct cash assistance (BLT) in 20.65 million beneficiary families. In addition, there is also wage subsidy assistance (BSU), and the regional government social assistance, namely the regional government, is also asked to provide social assistance for the community.