Don't Hesitate Anymore! Minister Of Home Affairs Tito Gives Green Light To Use BTT Or Social Assistance To Accelerate Vaccination

Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian. (ANTARA/HO-Kemendagri)

JAKARTA - Minister of Home Affairs (Mendagri) Muhammad Tito Karnavian asked regional heads to use unexpected spending funds (BTT) and social assistance (bansos) in order to accelerate vaccination.

So far there has been hesitation from regional heads in using BTT or social assistance for handling pandemics and accelerating vaccines.

"As long as there is no bad intention of mens rea to harm the country, immediately take advantage of the social assistance and BTT to accelerate vaccination," said Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian in a statement received in Jakarta, Antara, Thursday, December 2.

Tito explained that the Minister of Finance had issued a regulation, namely that 8 percent of the general allocation fund (DAU) and revenue-sharing funds (DBH) could be used for handling the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The additional budget will later be for handling COVID-19, vaccination support, village support for PPKM, incentives for health workers, and other health spending as well as priority activities set by the government," said the Minister of Home Affairs.

The Minister of Home Affairs sees that there is still a remaining budget from the APBD that can be allocated for the acceleration of vaccines in the remaining 7 days before the end of 2021. This is in order to achieve the target of 70 percent of vaccination implementation.

Therefore, the Minister of Home Affairs asked regional heads to assign the regional secretary and BPKAD heads to check the remaining budget after refocusing 8 percent of DBH and DAU.

"This can be used to accelerate the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Other posts can be used from BTT and social assistance," he said.

Post BTT and social assistance can also be used to lure residents to come and be willing to be vaccinated, for example by giving compensation in the form of gifts or door prizes.

"I have made a circular on the use of BTT as of December 16, 2021 regarding support for accelerating vaccinations and payments for health workers in the 2021 budget year," said the Minister of Home Affairs.

Furthermore, the Minister of Home Affairs explained that the use of funds to accelerate vaccination coverage should be coordinated with related parties, both internally, namely the regional inspectorate, and externally, namely the DPRD, BPKP, and law enforcement officials.

"The implementation of the acceleration of vaccination coverage prioritizes integrity and does not have an element of bad intentions (mens rea) that benefits oneself or other parties," said the Minister of Home Affairs.

Furthermore, the Minister of Home Affairs emphasized that the Circular of the Minister of Home Affairs could be a legal umbrella to no longer hesitate to use the remaining BTT posts and social assistance posts to support the implementation of vaccinations.