Social Assistance Money Cannot Buy Cigarettes, How Is The Control?

Money illustration - The government will provide social assistance on January 4, 2021. (Irfan Meidianto / VOI)

JAKARTA - Social assistance (bansos) will be immediately given to recipients on January 4, 2021. Furthermore, the government asks the public not to use this money to buy cigarettes and use it to meet food needs until the recipient community becomes healthy.

The Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture (Menko PMK) Muhadjir Effendy asked the community receiving social assistance not to use the aid they received to buy cigarettes. This request, he said, was also delivered directly by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi).

"Mr President has warned that (social assistance money, red) is not used to buy cigarettes. So once again, this aid should not be used at all to buy cigarettes according to the direction of the President," Muhadjir said in a press conference broadcast. on the Presidential Secretariat YouTube account, Tuesday, December 29.

Meanwhile, Social Minister Tri Rismaharini asked cash assistance recipients not to buy cigarettes with the money they received. He will prepare a tool to monitor the use of social assistance money by the community, including preventing the purchase of cigarettes.

"There is no more (social assistance money, red) for the purchase of cigarettes and we will monitor it, we will monitor it," said Risma in the same press conference.

"God willing, in February 2021 we will prepare tools or tools for us to know what expenditures will be used. With the money is spent on anything," added the former Surabaya Mayor.

If in the future there are still people who are stubborn and buy cigarettes with social assistance money, the government will take a firm stance, such as evaluating the assistance that has been given.

"If that happens, we will conduct an evaluation for aid recipients. Because once again, don't let the recipients of this aid be for health but then there will be problems because it is used for cigarettes," he said.

Furthermore, Risma explained the mechanism for providing social assistance from the government to the community. He said that this assistance would begin to be distributed on January 4, 2021 by cooperating with PT Pos Indonesia. The assistance distributed to recipients is in the form of cash assistance to direct cash assistance (BLT) and is expected to be completed within a week.

He detailed the number of recipients of social assistance provided to the government. Regarding the basic food social assistance program, the number reached 18.8 million recipients with one basic food package worth IDR 200 thousand per month.

Meanwhile for cash social assistance, the number of recipients in 2021 will reach 10 million people throughout Indonesia, including the Jabodetabek area.

"The distributor is PT Pos Indonesia and the monthly aid index is Rp. 300 thousand per beneficiary and will be given in January, February, March, and April not in full a year like the PKH program," he said.

Furthermore, the Family of Hope Program (PKH) will be received by 10 million recipients who are channeled by himbara or government bank associations. This assistance is then used for pregnant women, early childhood, school age children, to those with disabilities and the elderly.

"This will be given starting in January every three months. The first stage is January, the second stage is April, the third stage is July and the fourth is October," he explained.

A public policy observer from Trisakti University, Trubus Rahardiansyah, assessed that the government's desire not to use social assistance money to buy cigarettes is mission impossible and too much.

"I think this policy is exaggerated. It is mission impossible. Because how can we ensure that this can be monitored and then who will supervise it? Then, what is the management because they will receive it and buy goods with money (social assistance, ed). "Buy pulses and then buy cigarettes. Who knows because that's the management of each," said Trubus when contacted by VOI.

Apart from being too excessive, Trubus also questioned the tools that Risma said would be used to monitor the use of this cash social assistance. "What tools are there, until today we don't have it, what application do we want to use," he said.

"So for example, I received it and then I bought the other one, it's my right. It can't be forced because it can violate constitutional rights," he added.

He did not deny that the government's intention was for the good of its own citizens. However, instead of doing things like this, the government should communicate, inform, and educate them continuously, especially since most of the people who receive social assistance are those with low incomes.

Trubus assessed that instead of dwelling on unclear policies, the government should optimize existing things, including monitoring and evaluating the social assistance distributed to the public. The goal is so that irregularities, cuts and corrupt behavior do not occur in the middle of the distribution of this aid.

Furthermore, what needs to be addressed is the law enforcement system. Anyone who deviates from social assistance, he said, must be dealt with firmly.

Finally, Trubus also said that the government should re-evaluate the provision of social assistance in cash. Because he assessed that social assistance goods are actually better distributed especially for low-income people.

"It's better for goods, such as rice and others. It is impossible for them to sell it back because it is for food, for daily consumption. Unlike money, they don't necessarily buy rice, buy food. Not necessarily. So the staple food is more effective for low-income people. "he concluded.