Had 'Sleep' 21 Million Beneficiaries, Social Minister Risma Promises To Improve Recipient Data Up To Mechanism For Distribution Of Social Assistance

Social Minister Tri Rismaharini directly checks the beneficiaries of the Cash Social Assistance (BST) (Photo: ANTARA/HO)

JAKARTA - Minister of Social Affairs (Mensos) Tri Rismaharini promised to improve the quality of data related to recipients of social assistance (bansos) and the mechanism for distributing social assistance so that the stimulus from the government is right on target.

In an online press conference from the Presidential Office in Jakarta, Monday, July 26, Social Minister Risma explained that for the first step, his party will synchronize data in his ministry with population data.

"We synchronized the data at the Ministry of Social Affairs, then matched it with population data, so that we could 'sleep' the data of 21 million (social assistance recipients), because there were duplicate data and others," Risma said as quoted by Antara.

The second step is to improve the mechanism for distributing social assistance by optimizing the role of banks and the Logistics Agency (Bulog). The cash assistance was distributed directly by banks to each recipient, while the rice aid was distributed directly by Perum Bulog to the recipients.

“We distribute it in the form of money transfers to banks and residents can take them to the bank. For rice, Bulog will send it directly to the beneficiary's house. Like that. So directly to the beneficiary families,” he said.

The next step is to collaborate with Bank Indonesia, the Financial Services Authority, and technology-based financial companies (fintech). The Ministry of Social Affairs and institutions in the financial sector will make an application for the distribution of social assistance which will be launched on August 17, 2021.

"We have prepared the software, we are assisted by BI and OJK supervision, and young friends in Fintech, E-commerce (online commerce) to use the application. So later shopping can be done anywhere, not just in e-waroeng," he said.

He explained that the technology in the social assistance application would be flexible and adapt to the conditions of the recipient of the social assistance. The application can also be synchronized with various platforms, making it easy to use.

“So, later shopping can be done anywhere, not only in e-warung, but can be used anywhere using this feature. What about conditions elsewhere? We will adjust it later, because we have to condition how it will be later, even though the cellphone is still zadul (in the past)," he said.

The application will also prevent misuse of social assistance by recipients, for example using social assistance to obtain cigarettes or liquor.

“We will 'cut' it, so according to the President's order, there is no shopping for cigarettes, no shopping for liquor. With this feature, we can limit our shopping, because we can't shop, if the payment is used to buy hard liquor or cigarettes," said the Minister of Social Affairs.