Hidayat Nur Wahid Criticizes Ministry Of Social Affairs Risma For Withdrawing The IDR 15 Million Compensation For COVID-19 Victims

Illustrative (Iqbal / VOI)

JAKARTA - Member of Commission VIII House of Representatives (DPR RI) Hidayat Nur Wahid criticized the Ministry of Social Affairs (Kemensos) policy of withdrawing IDR 15 million in compensation for victims who died from COVID-19.

The policy was issued in a circular letter from the Director of Social Protection for Social Disaster Victims, Sunarti. This circular follows up on the circular letter of the Acting Director of Social Protection for Social Disaster Victims Number 427/3.2/BS.01.02/06/2020 dated 18 June 2020 regarding compensation for victims of COVID-19.

"The government (Ministry of Social Affairs) should be able to implement the laws and regulations to provide assistance to victims of disaster or death due to COVID-19, IDR 15 million each person", said Hidayat Nur Wahid in his official Twitter account, @hnurwahid quoted by VOI, Wednesday, February 24.

The deputy chairman of the PKS added that the Ministry of Social Affairs under the leadership of Tri Rismaharani must revoke the circular and re-implement the compensation as stipulated in the Minister of Social Affairs Regulation Number 4 of 2015.

"Because the government can give IDR 20 trillion for Jiwasraya as well as increase the national economic recovery budget to IDR 688 trillion," said Hidayat Nur Wahid.

The government (Ministry of Social Affairs) should be able to implement the laws and regulations to provide assistance to victims of disaster/death due to COVID-19; IDR 15 million each person. Don't withdraw them. Because the government can “inject” IDR 20T for Jiwasraya. Also increase the National Economic Recovery budget to IDR 688T. pic.twitter.com/Zb9bPGffc6

- Hidayat Nur Wahid (@hnurwahid) February 24, 2021

The Ministry of Social Affairs is paying IDR 15 million in compensation for victims who died from COVID-19. The reason is that there is no longer a budget for compensation for victims of COVID-19.

This decision was stated in a circular letter from the Director of Social Protection for Social Disaster Victims, Sunarti. This circular follows up on the circular letter of the Acting Director of Social Protection for Social Disaster Victims Number 427/3.2/BS.01.02/06/2020 dated 18 June 2020 regarding compensation for victims of COVID-19.

"In 2021, there is no budget allocated for compensation for victims of COVID-19 for their heirs at the Ministry of Social Affairs so that the previous recommendations and proposals submitted by the Provincial/Regency/City Social Service cannot be followed up", said the contents of the first point in the letter. circular quoted by VOI, Monday, February 22.

The Ministry of Social Affairs asks the Head of the Provincial Social Service to forward this information to the Head of the Regency/City Social Service in their respective area and then not to provide any recommendations or suggestions to the Ministry of Social Affairs.

In the SE, Acting Director-General of Social Protection for Social Disaster Victims of the Ministry of Social Affairs Adi Wahyono said the compensation policy referred to the decision of the Head of National Board for Disaster Management (BNPB) Number 9A of 2020.

"Compensation for death is given to heirs whose family members died due to being infected with COVID-19 which was stated by the hospital or Community Health Centers (puskesmas) or the health office," Adi wrote in a circular.