Coordinating Minister For Human Development And Culture Affirms Social Assistance Can Be Given To Families Of Online Gamblers

Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy was met by the media after the gathering ceremony in the context of celebrating Eid al-Adha at the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture Office, Jakarta, Wednesday (19/6/2024). (ANTARA/Lintang Budiyanti Prameswari)

Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture (PMK) Muhadjir Effendy emphasized that social assistance (bansos) can be provided to families of online gamblers in accordance with applicable regulations.

"What I need to emphasize again is that what I mean is that the victim is not a gambler. Those victims are those who suffer or suffer losses due to gambling, so they are not the gamblers. In contrast to online loans (pinjol), if the loan has been considered a victim, it's the one who borrowed it," said Coordinating Minister Muhadjir at the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture's Office, Jakarta, Wednesday, June 19, which was confiscated by Antara.

He explained that in government regulations, especially those that have been set at the Ministry of Social Affairs (Kemensos), poor people or poor people with criteria that have been set by the Ministry of Social Affairs can be included as recipients of social assistance through Integrated Social Welfare Data (DTKS) with the verification process first.

"We still haven't held a meeting, whether it (the provision of social assistance for families of victims of online gambling) will be an important agenda or not, but automatically, if there are victims who fall into poverty, then the Ministry of Social Affairs will include it, either specifically for the victims, or through existing regulations it can accommodate them, if registered later it will still be verified, still in the process," he said.

He also emphasized that President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has determined a Decree (SK) related to the formation of an Online Judi Eradication Task Force (Satgas) which emphasizes prevention and prosecution of perpetrators or gamblers.

"The important thing is actually prevention and prosecution. When it comes to victims, I think we will see later, whether there is something serious or not being a victim," he said.

According to him, victims of online gambling are real and the assistance scheme provided is not only social assistance, but also in the form of psychological consultation and social rehabilitation.

"It doesn't mean that they are given basic necessities, because the social assistance scheme is mostly non-material. For the Family Hope Program (PKH) it's also through an account, then Non-Cash Food Assistance also through accounts, there are also psychological consultations, social rehabilitation is a lot, and in person, I have asked the Minister of Social Affairs, there are actually (schemes), but it's not specific. Because there are also victims of drugs, victims of violence, so there is no specific handling yet, but there are already those who are victims of online gambling, "he said.