BLT BBM Is Called An Effort By The Government To Protect The People From Global Prices Of Gejolak

Photo illustration (Source: Antara)

JAKARTA - Minister of Finance (Menkeu) Sri Mulyani Indrawati hopes that BLT BBM will help relieve and protect vulnerable and poor people from the pressure of turmoil in global prices. She also hopes that BLT BBM will reduce poverty in Indonesia.

"Hopefully this social assistance will help relieve and protect vulnerable and poor people from the pressure of the turmoil of rising global prices so that we can still try to reduce Indonesia's poverty rate," Sri said, quoted on Sunday, October 2.

Sri explained that the transfer of fuel subsidies and compensation to BLT BBM was allocated Rp24.17 trillion, consisting of two types.

First, Wage Subsidy Assistance (BSU) of IDR 600,000 which will be given to 14.6 million workers with salaries below IDR 3.5 million. Second, BLT BBM which will be given to 20.65 beneficiary families of IDR 150,000 per month, was given four months," he said. Previously, the government had announced the transfer of fuel subsidies on September 3, 2022, so that the subsidies provided by the government would be more targeted.

Minister of Social Affairs (Mensos) Tri Rismaharini explained that until September 16, 2022, PT Pos Indonesia had distributed BLT BBM to 12,701,985 Beneficiary Families (KPM) in 482 districts and cities.

Risma revealed that her party had submitted all data on BLT fuel beneficiaries to PT Pos Indonesia. However, there are several areas, especially in mountainous areas such as Papua and West Papua, whose data is incomplete.

"For this reason, the Ministry of Social Affairs will cooperate with the Directorate General (Ditjen) of Population and Civil Registration (Dukcapil) of the Ministry of Home Affairs to record and distribute, especially in areas that are difficult to access," said Risma.

The Minister of Social Affairs also said that the Ministry of Social Affairs had received an additional budget of more than Rp. 400 billion from the Ministry of Finance which would be used as social assistance for orphans with a target of 946,863 recipients.

"It will be used for December, we will hand over approximately around the target of the orphans is 946,863 children, per child Rp200 thousand per month," said Social Minister Risma.

Meanwhile, Political Communication Expert at Pelita Harapan University, Dr. Emrus Sihombing, believes that the social cushion policy is a form of partisanship of the Jokowi - Ma'ruf government to groups of economic groups affected by the subsidized fuel increase.

"It is very appropriate for the government to issue policies and provide social support as a form of transferring fuel subsidies to those who are reasonable to accept them," said Emrus.

According to him, President Jokowi's social cushion policy is able to control people's purchasing power to increase the price of goods and basic necessities in markets throughout the country.