Banjarmasin City Government Adds Social Assistance Budget For Disasters

Deputy Mayor of Banjarmasin H Arifin Noor when handing over social assistance to victims of residential fires some time ago. (ANTARA/HO-Humas Banjarmasin City Government.)

BANJARMASIN - The City Government of Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan has increased the budget for disaster social assistance proposed in the 2023 Revised APBD. Head of the Banjarmasin City Social Service Dolly Syahbana said the budget for disaster social assistance allocated to the purely 2023 APBD was exhausted. "The end of the disaster social assistance budget for us is because of the frequent disaster of residential fires this year," he said in Banjarmasin, Antara, Wednesday, August 2. The Head of Protect and Social Security for the Social Service of Banjarmasin City, Amrullah, added that the budget allocation for disaster assistance in the pure 2023 APBD was around Rp. 400 million. However, due to the many disasters, especially the fire in residential areas for some time until the budget runs out. "In fact, we have this debt with providers to help about 30 families who were affected by the disaster," he said. Karenanya pada APBD perubahan tahun 2023 yang kini sedang dibahas di DPRD Kota Banjarmasin diajukan tambahan anggaran sekitar Rp1,6 miliar. "We have designed this additional budget for readiness to help about 300 families who were hit by a disaster," he said. The disasters that often occur in Banjarmasin City are fire from residents' settlements and damage to houses due to hurricanes. It was revealed that the Social Service Office of Banjarmasin City distributed aid in the form of goods for clothing and food for disaster victims, months of cash form. "We will quickly reduce this aid in the event of a disaster, at least to ease the burden on disaster victims who almost lost everything," he said.

The Social Assistance for the Disaster Management Agency is also collaborating with other agencies for assistance for victims, such as in the Welfare Section of Banjarmasin City, there is cash assistance of around Rp. 3 million per KK, there is also assistance from the Provincial Government, BAZNAS and others.