JAKARTA - The Ministry of Villages for Disadvantaged Areas and Transmigration (Kemendes PDTT) emphasized that the reduction in the value of direct cash assistance (BLT) for Village Funds from IDR 600,000 to IDR 300,000 is still being discussed and has yet to be decided.
PDTT Minister Abdul Halim Iskandar said that currently the central government is still regulating the regulations regarding the amount of Village Fund BLT that will be received by underprivileged people during the pre-crisis period of the corona virus or COVID-19.
"Rp. 300 thousand per month has not been decided with certainty. So at the Coordinating Ministry for PMK it is more about regulatory preparations," he said in a video conference with journalists, Wednesday, May 27.
As is known, the Village Fund BLT will be extended by the central government until the end of the year. However, the value is reduced to IDR 300,000 thousand from July to December.
Abdul Halim said that the reduction in the value of BLT was not necessarily implemented. This is because the decision ultimately rests with President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) as the leader of the country.
"Not necessarily implemented, it really depends on the development of the situation today and tomorrow and so on depending on the decision of the president. But regulations have been prepared, that's all," he explained.
Even so, Abdul Halim said, Village Fund BLT budgeting regulations need to be carried out and compiled in the APBDes. If there are villages that are truly not affected by the economy and health of COVID-19, the APBDes must still budget for the BLT to anticipate unwanted situations.
"If it is not used, it is okay, there will be a revision of the APBDes with the same position. It has been anticipated but not necessarily implemented," he said.
Previously, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani said, from the consumption side, the steps taken by the government were to provide social assistance subsidies to the poor and vulnerable people more broadly. The aim is to prevent the decline in consumption which has seen a sharp decline.
Sri said the social assistance program at the time of the spread of COVID-19 had been implemented by the government, starting from the family hope program (PHK) to the Pre-Employment Card.
"The Jabodetabek social assistance and non-Jabodetabek cash assistance will be given for nine months until December," he said, in a video conference with journalists, Monday, May 18.
Initially, the central government provided social assistance in the form of basic necessities with a value of Rp. 600,000 for the Jabodetabek area, which was given from April to June. Meanwhile, non-Jabodetabek areas are given cash with the same value.
"For July to December it is Rp. 300,000 thousand per month from Rp. 600,000 thousand per month," he explained.
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