Coordinating Minister Airlangga: No Social Assistance Budget For Families Of Online Judicial Victims In The State Budget

Coordinating Minister for the Economy Arilangga Hartarto (ANTARA)

Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto emphasized that there is no social assistance budget (bansos) for families of victims of online gambling in the APBN. Airlangga also admitted that there has been no coordination regarding the proposed social assistance for families of victims of online gambling.

"The first is related to online gambling, it is not in the current budget," said Airlangga after performing Eid prayers at the Ainul Hikmah Mosque, Golkar Party DPP, Palmerah, West Jakarta on Monday 17 June.

However, Airlangga welcomes any ministry that proposes social assistance for families of victims of online gambling. According to him, this can be discussed in the technical ministry, including the budget.

"Yes, if there is a program proposal, of course, if there is a program proposal, please discuss it with the technical ministry," said Airlangga.

Previously, the Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture (Menko PMK) Muhadjir Effendy clarified his statement which stated that online gambling victims would be given social assistance (bansos).

Muhadjir emphasized that the recipients of social assistance for victims of online gambling were members of the victim's family, not perpetrators.

"It needs to be understood, don't cut it into pieces. If the perpetrator is clear, it must be prosecuted because it is a crime. Well, what I mean by the recipient of the social assistance is family members such as children, wives, or husbands," he said after Eid prayer at the Muhammadiyah Central Leadership Office (PP) in Menteng, Jakarta, Monday 17 June.

Muhadjir added that the idea was one of the materials proposed by the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture in preparation for the formation of the Online Gambling Eradication Task Force (Satgas).

As deputy chairman of the task force, Muhadjir accompanied the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Menko Polhukam) Hadi Tjahjanto, who served as chairman in the ad hoc team structure.

The formation of this task force was inaugurated through Presidential Decree (Keppres) Number 21 of 2024 concerning the Online Gambling Eradication Task Force which was issued in Jakarta on Friday, June 14.

Muhadjir emphasized that social assistance is important to help families affected by online gambling behavior. According to him, families not only experience material losses, but also serious impacts on mental health, can even lead to deaths, as happened in some cases.

"This condition creates the responsibility of the government, especially for us at the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture. We will discuss the mechanism for providing social assistance to families affected by online gambling together with the minister of social affairs," he added.