Some Poor Mukomuko People Do Not Accept BLT

Poor Mukomuko (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - The Community and Village Empowerment Service of Mukomuko Regency, Bengkulu Province, said that only a small portion of Village Fund Direct Cash Assistance (BLT) funds were not channeled to poor families due to the impact of COVID-19 in this area.

"Some of the BLT funds that were not disbursed went to as many as 114 families in this area," said Head of Village Administration, Community and Village Empowerment Service, Mukomuko Regency, M Fadli, quoted by Antara, Monday, July 27.

He said this was based on a list of the surnames of residents spread across a number of areas in this area where no direct cash assistance from village funds was distributed in the third month.

He mentioned that the allocation plan was according to the village head regulation (perkades) as many as 9,170 households with an allocation of BLT funds of Rp. 5,502,000,000 then the realization of distribution to as many as 9,028 families with a fund allocation of Rp. 5.42 billion.

Based on the village head office of 9,170 families, after the first stage distribution process was reduced to 9,114 families, then the second stage was reduced to 9,037 families and then 9,028.

He explained, as many as hundreds of these families did not receive BLT village funds because the majority received cash social assistance (BST), non-cash food assistance (BPNT), and the family hope program.

Then there are also people who are included in this list who have become village officials, regional honorarium employees, become Village Representative Bodies, changed addresses, died, and resigned.

He stated, the recipients of village fund BLT were not only families of residents who were classified as economically poor in this regional village but there were also some families who were previously economically well off who were affected by COVID-19 such as owners of a single organ entertainment business and school canteen traders.

Furthermore, the majority of villages have conducted special village deliberations related to the amendment of PMK Number 50 of 2020, BLT village funds were increased from three months to six months, but BLT funds for the fourth to sixth months were IDR 300 thousand each per month.