Spending Rp. 293 Trillion, Jokowi: Hopefully The PEN Budget Triggers Community Productivity

President Joko Widodo (Photo: Public Relations of Setkab)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) hopes that the realization of the National Economic Recovery (PEN) budget, especially for social protection programs, can ease the burden on people with low economic capacity, and in turn can trigger productivity.

President Jokowi said that the government had disbursed Rp. 293 trillion in funds for social protection clusters targeting lower economic strata.

"The realization of the national economic recovery program (PEN), especially social protection, we hope can help society and stimulate community productivity," said the President at the opening of the 2020 Congress of the Indonesian Muslim Brotherhood (Parmusi) via a video teleconference from Bogor, West Java, as reported by Antara, Saturday, September 26.

The social protection cluster budget is realized in various programs such as the Family Hope Program (PKH), Non-Cash Food Assistance (BPNT), basic food assistance programs, cash social assistance (bansos), Pre-Work Cards, Village Fund Direct Cash Assistance (BLT), Banpres. Productive MSMEs, Salary Subsidies, and Electricity Discounts.

As of September 23, 2020, the President explained the details of the realization of the social protection cluster budget, namely the Harapan Family Program had distributed Rp. 29,138 trillion to 10 million beneficiaries and the Basic Food Program had distributed Rp. 30.978 trillion to 19.41 million beneficiaries.

Then, the Jabodetabek Staple Food Program has disbursed IDR 4.407 trillion to 1.9 million beneficiaries and the Non-Jabodetabek Cash Assistance Program has distributed IDR 24.787 trillion to 9.18 million beneficiaries.

Furthermore, the Pre-Work Card Program has distributed IDR 16.617 trillion to 4.86 million beneficiaries and the Village Fund BLT Program has distributed IDR 11.73 trillion to 7.55 million beneficiaries.

In addition, the Productive Banpres Program and the Working Capital Banpres for MSMEs have disbursed Rp.14,183 trillion and have been delivered to 5.9 million recipients, the Salary Subsidy Program has distributed Rp.10.8 trillion to 9 million beneficiaries and the Electricity Discount Program has disbursed Rp3. 455 trillion to 31.4 million beneficiaries.

"This program is to ease the people's economy due to the COVID-19 pandemic," said the President.