BLT BBM System Value Observers Have Implemented Good, Directly Targeted To Citizens Who Need

Hundreds of poor people in Mukomuko Regency received the distribution of BLT BBM (ANTARA/Ferri)

Political observer Dedi Kurnia Syah assesses that BLT BBM has proven to be helping the community. As a result, this policy must be appreciated. "The government with the idea of BLT needs to be supported sufficiently, in the sense that BLT is proven to help the community, so it must continue to be appreciated," said Dedi in a written statement in Jakarta, Monday, November 6. Dedi said that BLT in the current situation is the right one because fuel subsidies are enjoyed by more groups that are actually capable. Therefore, with the direct BLT transakay, the government deals with and meets directly with recipients. "This allows the accuracy of the target to be much more certain than the subsidies paid to the corporate," he said. Furthermore, Dedi sees that the government has so far thought quite a long way about the form of subsidies. The reason is, the subsidy of fuel cannot continue to be burdensome, and in improving Indonesian economic conditions, the transfer of fuel subsidies is very important, "The government has tried with rationality, and the public with this transfer will remain protected by subsidy policies," said Dedi. On the other hand, Dedi also said that the transfer of fuel subsidies for other sectors is something the government may be able to do. There are a number of sectors that can be optimized for the benefit of the community through fuel subsidy funds. "Subsidies can and are good to be transferred anywhere as long as there are no financial transactions with the public, it is much more useful in general, it can be transferred to health facilities, education, and infrastructure," said Dedi. It is known, the Ministry of Finance in its official broadcast conveyed that the increase in fuel consumption which was significant caused the subsidized diesel and pertalite volume quota to be depleted in October 2022. As of August 2022, subsidized diesel consumption has reached 11.4 million kiloliters out of a total quota of 15.1 million kiloliters and subsidized pertalite consumption has reached 19.5 million kiloliters out of a total quota of 23.05 million kiloliters for 2022. The government has also increased the subsidy budget and fuel compensation in 2022 more than three times, from Rp152.5 trillion to Rp502.4 trillion. However, if fuel consumption exceeds the subsidy quota, it is estimated that the subsidy budget and fuel compensation will swell even more. Meanwhile, the huge subsidy and compensation budget is enjoyed more by the wealthy. Households are able to absorb 80% of pertalite consumption, while poor and vulnerable households only absorb 20%. This means that the subsidies given are mistargeted. In order to fix the wrong subsidy to be right on target, the government has also diverted the subsidy budget and compensation of fuel to BLT BBM for vulnerable and poor people. "This is the government's last choice, namely diverting fuel subsidies. So that the prices of several types of fuel that have received subsidies will experience adjustments and some fuel subsidies will be diverted for more targeted assistance," said President Joko Widodo at the Press Conference. The conversion of subsidies and fuel compensation to BLT BBM is allocated Rp24.17 trillion consisting of two types. First, Wage Subsidy Assistance (BSU) of Rp600,000 which will be given to 14.6 million workers with salaries below Rp3.5 million. Second, BLT BBM which will be given to 20.65 beneficiary families amounting to IDR 150,000 per month, given as much as four months.