Good News, Pamekasan Regency Government Allocates Rp22 Billion For Tobacco Workers' BLT

Documentation of tobacco farm workers in Pamekasan, Madura, East Java (Abd Aziz/Antara)

JAKARTA - The Pamekasan Regency Government, East Java, has allocated a budget from the 2021 tobacco product excise revenue-sharing fund (DBHCHT) of Rp22 billion for direct cash assistance (BLT) for farm workers and tobacco factory workers affected by COVID-19.

According to the Head of the Economic Section of the Pamekasan Regency Government, Sri Puja Astutik in Pamekasan, Friday, the allocation of aid for farm workers and tobacco factory workers is in accordance with the provisions set by the central government.

"The provisions set by the central government regarding the use of funds from tobacco excise are 50 percent for the welfare of the community," she said as quoted by Antara, Friday, June 11.

Of that 50 percent, 30 percent of them are for direct cash assistance to farmworkers and tobacco factory workers.

"So, the funds amounting to more than Rp22 billion represent 30 percent of the 50 percent allocation for the welfare sector," she said.

Farm workers and tobacco factory workers will receive BLT-DBHCT each in the amount of Rp300 thousand per month for six months.

"Currently, we are still communicating the recipient's data with village officials and cigarette companies," said Puji.

She explained that in order to receive direct assistance, recipients had to meet several requirements set by the government, one of which was not receiving assistance in other programs from the government, such as PKH.

"The beneficiaries of this tobacco excise revenue sharing fund are only for tobacco farm workers and cigarette factory workers and may not receive other BLT from government programs, such as village funds, BPUM, PKH, and so on," she said.

Puji Astutik explained that the BLT-DBHCHT assistance only applies to one family, one person. "The goal is to restore the community's economy by providing incentives to increase their purchasing power," she said.