PPKM Extended, Ganjar Pranowo: Social Assistance Issued

Governor of Central Java Ganjar Pranowo (PHOTO VIA ANTARA)

SEMARANG - Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo asked his staff to ensure that social assistance related to the extension of the PPKM is distributed to affected residents.

"Because the decision has been extended, what must be done is that the social assistance is issued. Not only from the APBN and APBD, other sources of assistance must also be distributed," he said in Semarang, quoted by Antara, Wednesday, July 21.

Ganjar admits that the decision to extend the Emergency PPKM burdens the community, so social assistance must be provided to relieve the affected residents.

"There are only two possibilities, whether it is extended or not. If the social assistance is extended, the community must be calm, but if it is not extended, we must calculate the condition of the hospital, in fact hospitals, health workers, oxygen, everything is troublesome," he said.

Therefore, Ganjar asked all regional heads in 35 regencies/cities to immediately issue social assistance to ease the burden on the community, including other sources, such as corporate social responsibility, Baznas and others which must also be ensured to be distributed.

"We have the ASN Snack movement to help SMEs, let's implement it. Make sure that assistance from the center, from the province and districts/cities is issued today because the decision has been clearly extended, so all aid will be issued," he said.

Ganjar admitted that he had coordinated with the central government regarding the assistance to be provided while ensuring that it was distributed right on target.

"The president has ordered, whether the social assistance is up or not, for street vendors or not? So I immediately met with my friends to confirm it. We mapped it from the center, the social assistance was issued, we also asked for a copy so we can confirm the implementation below," he said.

Mentioned about the extension of PPKM, Ganjar said that the implementation has been given instructions from the center and now the name is not Emergency PPKM, but uses leveling, starting from 3-4.

"From the Ministry of Home Affairs, the level has been released, which is level 3 and 4. The provisions are still not much different, it's only possible that yesterday it was only open until 8 pm, now it can be 9 pm. As with the provisions regarding small traders, the President has spoken about an easing, " continued Ganjar Pranowo.

The local government, Ganjar continued, was given the flexibility to regulate, although not all regions in Central Java entered level 4, Ganjar asked all regions to do the same.

"Otherwise, 'problems' will arise in border areas. Especially for Central Java, later we will discuss with the regents/mayors, we should do the same," he said.