The Criteria For The Poor In The Requirements For KJP Recipients Are Unclear, The DPRD Asks The DKI Provincial Government To Improve

Illustration of the KJP Plus Card (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Deputy Chairperson of the DKI Jakarta DPRD, Jhonny Simanjuntak, asked the DKI Provincial Government to improve the criteria for the "poor" group in one of the requirements for receiving the Jakarta Smart Card (KJP).

This is because Jhonny assessed that the criteria for "poor" in recipients of educational operational assistance were not clear. For example, KJP recipients must meet the requirements for a house with a floor on the ground, not having a kitchen, so they cannot consume branded bottled water at home.

"In my opinion, it is necessary to improve the criteria for people who are entitled to KJP. What are the sizes of poor people like? We have to fix the criteria," said Jhonny at the DKI Jakarta DPRD Building, Friday, September 19.

Jhonny admitted that he often received complaints from the poor but escaped as a KJP recipient because he was considered capable. Thus, the criteria set by the DKI Provincial Government so far have drawn a lot of debate.

This member of the PDIP faction of the DKI DPRD hopes that the Education Office can improve the criteria for "poor" which can later be understood by the entire community.

"We will give input to the executive so that we don't make any concrete criteria too much," said Jhonny.

On the one hand, Jhonny asked the DKI Provincial Government not to divert the KJP distribution budget for free private school programs.

In the plan to implement free schools for the private sector in Jakarta next year, the DKI Provincial Government opens a discourse to remove KJP because the budget will be used for the new program.

"KJP should not be deleted. We'll see again the study," said Jhonny.

The deputy chairman of the DKI DPRD in the meantime does not deny that the implementation of free schools requires a large budget. However, Jhonny assessed that the DKI Regional Budget could still finance it even though it did not eliminate the KJP program.

"I think free schools are a necessity, but social assistance for the poor must also be considered," he concluded.