Candidated By The DPR Regarding Social Assistance Recipients, Minister Of Social Affairs Juliari Coal: 100 Percent We Use Data From Regions

Minister of Social Affairs. Juliari Batubara provides assistance to people in need amidst the difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by: Ministry of Social Affairs)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Social Affairs revealed that the data used to distribute social assistance is data obtained from the regions. This data was not verified again, because during the pandemic of the corona virus or COVID-19, the government admitted that they did not have much time.

Minister of Social Affairs Juliari Batubara said that social assistance in the midst of this pandemic is only a cushion. Therefore, the government must move quickly to distribute aid. All data used were obtained from the social offices of each region.

"Like it or not, we like it or not. We can almost say that 100 percent of the data is sent by the regions. So that the appropriateness or unworthiness of the prospective recipients of social assistance that we receive is not our responsibility," he said, at a work meeting. virtually with Commission VIII, Wednesday, May 6.

Juliari argued that the regions had a better understanding of the conditions of their citizens, including the data collection of potential beneficiaries. He explained that what is meant by the region is the head of the region down to the village and sub-district levels.

In addition, Juliari revealed that many parties did not believe the data in the Ministry of Social Affairs. In fact, he said, the data that is currently the most valid and reliable is the integrated social welfare data (DTKS). Where, the data is obtained directly from the regions through social agencies.

Furthermore, Juliari said, the reason for using DTKS data is because this data is always updated once every three months. So, in this condition the data is the most usable.

"People do not know that the data from us is data from below. In this abnormal time, in the shortest possible time, everyone has shouted that they have not received help, right, pity," he said.

Difficult to record

Juliari admits that it is difficult to collect data on the poor who are entitled to receive social assistance. Because of that, he regrets, if there are parties who think that data collection is something easy.

"Now suddenly more and more people are becoming experts on data. Thinking data is something easy, something simple. Even though we are an archipelago country with a population of 270 million with several thousand languages, with hundreds of customs, also of course have wisdom. local separate, including in terms of data collection, "he said.

Not only that, according to Juliari, not all regions are easy to collect data. Moreover, the quality of human resources (HR) at the lowest level is not the same from one region to another in collecting data.

"We are greatly helped if there is one party that can provide data on tens of millions of people and is guaranteed neutrality, guaranteed the accuracy will be used, finished," he said.

Distortion in the Substrate

Juliari revealed that one of the factors in the data problem of receiving social assistance was that the local government did not understand data collection at the lower level, especially in the ranks of the social agencies.

Furthermore, he revealed, distortion often occurs in social services. One of the factors that influence this is the like and dislike element between the social service and the village head. So that the data received by the central government from the social services may very well be different from the data received by the social services from the villages.

"This distortion occurs because maybe we both know, we are both political people, maybe there is a political factor, maybe there is a like and dislike factor between the social service and the village head who provides the funds. This is very technical and very dynamic in the field. We all political people, we understand things like this, "he said.

Juliari explained that the data provided by the social service was used by the central government. However, he admitted, he could not confirm whether the data provided by the village or sub-district was the same as that sent by the social service.

"Is the data sent by the social service for the regions to us the same? We don't know. Because we received it from the social service," he explained.

Previously, in a working meeting of Commission VIII with the Ministry of Social Affairs and the Ministry of Rural Development for Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration, the Minister of Social Affairs was questioned by commission members regarding data on the community who received social assistance.