Minister Tjahjo: ASN Does Not Include Criteria For Social Assistance Recipients

Minister of State Apparatus Empowerment and Bureaucratic Reform (PANRB), Tjahjo Kumolo (Photo: Kemenpan.go.id)

JAKARTA - Minister of State Apparatus Empowerment and Bureaucratic Reform (PANRB) Tjahjo Kumolo said there were no specific rules for state civil servant (ASN) employees to be prohibited from receiving social assistance.

However, basically, ASN employees are government employees who have a fixed income.

"Therefore, ASN employees are not included in the criteria for implementing social welfare," said Minister Tjahjo in Jakarta, Saturday, November 20.

Based on Presidential Regulation No. 63/2017 concerning the Distribution of Non-Cash Social Assistance, it is stated that the recipient of Social Assistance is a person, family, group, or community that is poor, underprivileged, and/or vulnerable to social risks.

Furthermore, in Article 2 of Government Regulation no. 39/2012 concerning the Implementation of Social Welfare, stipulates that the implementation of social welfare is prioritized for those who have an inadequate life and have criteria for social problems, such as poverty, neglect, disability, remoteness, social disability, and behavioral deviations, disaster victims; and/or victims of acts of violence, exploitation, and discrimination.

According to him, in relation to the sanctions/punishments given, it is necessary to first examine whether the ASN employee intentionally commits fraud or abuses his authority in determining or including himself as a recipient of social assistance or not.

In addition, Minister Tjahjo said that it was necessary to first review the mechanism/process for determining the data on recipients of social assistance by the regional government/other related parties, so that validation and verification of the recipients of social assistance who are entitled to it can be carried out.

In the event that it is proven that the civil servant concerned has committed an act that includes abuse of authority to gain personal and/or other people's benefit, the employee concerned may be given disciplinary punishment in accordance with Government Regulation no. 94/2021 concerning Civil Servant Discipline.

Previously, Minister of Social Affairs Tri Rismaharini found data on 31,624 ASN who received government assistance. This data was found when the Ministry of Social Affairs updated the Integrated Social Welfare Data (DTKS).