Promise Stay Promise! Residents Of South Sumatra OKU Are Starting To Complain About Social Assistance Funds For The Impact Of Non-Cash Inflation

Head of the OKU District Social Service, Syaiful Kamal, accompanied by the Head of the Poor, Dodi Handoko. (ANTARA)

OKU - The impact of the inflationary social assistance (bansos) for residents of Ogan Komering Ulu (OKU) Regency, South Sumatra has not yet been distributed to thousands of prospective beneficiaries. This was complained by Herman, a resident of a candidate for assistance in Baturaja, OKU Regency. Herman admitted that he had not received the social assistance for the impact of inflation promised by the local government through the local Social Service which will be paid in mid-December 2022. "After going through the data collection process, I was listed as one of the candidates for receiving social assistance, but until today the assistance has not been realized," he said as quoted by Antara, Thursday, December 22. Herman really hopes that the aid funds will be realized soon to help meet his daily needs. "The funds are very much expected to buy basic necessities. We hope that there will be clarity from the parties regarding when social assistance funds will be distributed to residents," he hoped. Meanwhile, the Head of the OKU Regency Social Service, Syaiful Kamal, through the Head of the Poor, Dodi Handoko separately said that currently the distribution of funds is still in the process of administration and coordination with Bank Sumsel Babel as a distributor. "Indeed, the funds have not been disbursed because of this administrative process, many parties have to be involved, so it will take a long time," he said. He explained that the distribution of funds would be carried out transparently through the bank accounts of each beneficiary. "This means that there are no deductions from the service. Every Beneficiary Family (KPM) will later open a Bank Sumsel Babel account," he explained. Previously, this year the OKU Regency Government had prepared funds of IDR 4.3 billion which would be distributed to the public in the form of direct cash assistance. This social assistance targets 6,026 residents in the area, ranging from the poor, motorcycle taxi drivers to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) who are affected by the inflation of the central government's policy. Thousands of KPMs in OKU Regency will receive financial assistance which will be distributed for three months in the October-December 2022 period with the amount of Rp. 200,000/month. "With this fund not yet distributed, the public is expected to be patient. At the latest in January 2023 everything has been distributed to all prospective recipients of the assistance," said Dodi.