The Polemic Of IDR 450 Billion Social Assistance Fund After Minister Of Social Affairs Visit, Bali Provincial Government: Not A Dime Of The Fund Goes To Regional Treasury

Head of the Department of Social Affairs, Women's Empowerment and Child Protection (Kadinsos P3A) Dewa Gede Mahendra Putra/ANTARA

DENPASAR - The Bali Provincial Government confirmed that not a penny of social assistance funds (bansos) for beneficiary families (KPM) on the Island of the Gods from the July-September 2021 period went into the regional treasury.

"Not a penny of the social assistance funds goes to the regional treasury, both provincial and district/city, because it is directly transferred to the accounts of each KPM," said Dewa Gede Mahendra Putra, Head of the Social Services, Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Agency (Kadinsos P3A), as quoted by Antara, Thursday, October 21.

Dewa Mahendra also straightened out the amount of the KPM social assistance fund that had not been realized, which was said to have reached IDR 450 billion, when in fact it was only IDR 6.6 billion.

"In the distribution of KPM social assistance funds, the Provincial and Regency/City Social Services only carry out the function of coordination and facilitation in the process of disbursing the social assistance," he said.

He stated that the flow of data for social assistance recipients starts with data on poor families who are proposed from the village to be entered in their respective villages, then proceeds to the Integrated Social Welfare Data (DTKS) through the SIKS-NG application.

The proposed data will be recapitulated by the SIKS-NG Operator in the district/city. The results of the recapitulation will be signed by the regional head and proposed to be submitted to the central DTKS.

Furthermore, social assistance funds from the Ministry of Social Affairs are distributed by the Association of State-Owned Banks (Himbara), such as BTN, BNI, BRI, and others. The social assistance funds are transferred to the savings account of the recipient of the social assistance.

The former Head of the Bureau of Public Relations and Protocol added that his party had made an inventory of a number of problems that resulted in the existence of social assistance funds that had not been disbursed.

The problems included the blocking of accounts because some beneficiaries did not withdraw the assistance within the stipulated time limit, so the system would automatically block the beneficiary's account (considered not in need).

Another problem is that there are double cards and the recipient dies. In addition, there are Prosperous Family Cards (KKS) that have not been distributed, because they were not found or were outside the city, changed addresses, wrong names/persons, and did not meet the requirements as recipients.

Responding to this, according to the direction of the Governor, his party moved quickly to coordinate with districts/cities to encourage those obstacles to be overcome and the disbursement of the PKM social assistance could be completed immediately.

Dewa Mahendra revealed the amount of social assistance funds from the Ministry of Social Affairs for the people of Bali from January to June 2021 which was recorded at IDR 474.1 billion.

The social assistance consists of the Family Hope Program (PKH) of more than IDR 214.88 billion and Non-Cash Food Assistance (BPNT) / Food Social Assistance (BSP) of more than IDR 259.21 billion.

In the period January to June 2021, IDR 313.6 billion has been realized to Beneficiary Families (KPM).

Next, in the period July to September 2021, Bali will receive a budget of IDR 160.5 billion, consisting of PKH of IDR 73.9 billion for 106.859 KPM, Non-Cash Food Aid (BPNT) funds of IDR 86.6 billion for 144.367 KPM.

After being calculated, the total social assistance that has been disbursed/realized to date has reached IDR 467.5 billion, consisting of the realization for the January-June period of IDR 313.6 billion and the July-September period of IDR 153.9 billion.

"So, the social assistance that has not been realized is only IDR 6.6 billion, consisting of the PKH program for 3.701 KPM for IDR 2.7 billion and the BPNT program for 19.358 KPM for IDR 3.9 billion," said Dewa Mahendra.

The Governor of Bali, Wayan Koster, has asked the banks that are members of Himbara as the channel for distributing social assistance funds to accelerate the disbursement of KPM.

In addition, KPM is expected to accelerate the repair/refinement of data requested by channeling banks so that social assistance funds are quickly realized.