Expensive Cooking Oil, Government Gives BLT Rp300 Thousand To 20.5 Million People

President Joko Widodo (Photo: Screenshot of Youtube @SecretariatPresident)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) announced that the government will provide direct cash assistance (BLT) for cooking oil worth IDR 100,000 per month. The donation was made because the price of cooking oil was high due to the spike in palm oil prices.

"To ease the burden on the people, the government will provide cooking oil BLT," said Jokowi in a video caption that was shown on the Presidential Secretariat's YouTube, Friday, April 1.

Jokowi said this cooking oil BLT was given to 20.5 million people who were included in the list of recipients of non-cash food assistance and the family of hope program. In addition, this assistance was also given to 2.4 million street vendors who sell fried foods.

"The assistance provided is Rp. 100,000 per month," said the former governor of DKI Jakarta.

However, the assistance will be given three months at a time so that the community will receive Rp. 300 thousand. The money, continued Jokowi, will be given starting this month, April to June.

"The government will provide this assistance for three months at once, namely April, May and June which will be paid in advance in April 2022 in the amount of IDR 300 thousand," he said.

Furthermore, Jokowi asked the relevant ministries to act quickly. Coordination needs to be done so that this cash assistance can run optimally.

"Finally, I ask the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Social Affairs, and the Indonesian National Police to coordinate so that the implementation of this aid distribution runs optimally," he concluded.