Good News From The Ministry Of Public Works And Housing: Successful Work-Intensive Program Gives Jobs 755,816 People, 61 Percent Of Target Achieved

Illustration (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - The government through the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (KemenPUPR) stated that the Cash-Intensive Work (PKT) program has succeeded in absorbing up to 755,816 workers until the closing of the first semester of 2021.

Spokesperson for the PUPR Ministry, Endra S. Atmawidjaja, said the number was equivalent to 61 percent of the target targeted for this year, which was 1.23 million people.

"Indeed, we are running according to the President's orders during cabinet meetings and limited cabinet meetings. Therefore, we must accelerate the target," he said in a written statement as quoted on Tuesday, July 6.

Endra added that the PKT program is expected to reduce unemployment and maintain people's purchasing power as part of the National Economic Recovery (PEN) agenda due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"This PKT is intended especially for people who have lost and are only focused on construction work that does not require technological support and is not high risk," he said.

To note, PKT is included in the PEN priority program scheme in the 2021 State Budget with a budget ceiling of Rp. 117.04. Meanwhile, the realization until the first half of this year was only around Rp. 41.83 trillion or equivalent to 35.7 percent of the total allocated funds.

In addition to PKT, PEN's priority programs include tourism incentives, increasing food security, providing information technology infrastructure for the public interest, as well as developing strategic industrial areas in a number of regions in Indonesia.

Meanwhile, for the entire PEN fund, there is a total of IDR 699.4 trillion which is distributed to five main sectors that are considered to be quite potential to be affected by the pandemic.