JAKARTA - The government's plan to provide assistance of Rp. 600 thousand per month for workers with salaries below Rp. 5 million has drawn pros and cons. One of them, from Commission XI DPR RI who questioned the justice if the assistance was actually realized.
DPR Commission XI member, Heri Gunawan, said that government assistance is prone to creating jealousy in the community. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has depressed the national economy and has an impact on layoffs.
"This is talking about a sense of justice. Those who already have salaries are subsidized, but how can workers who have been laid off or even laid off during this pandemic? Do not let social jealousy arise among the communities affected by the pandemic," he said, in Jakarta, Friday, 7 August.
Heri assessed that instead of being a solution in increasing public consumption in the midst of a crisis due to a pandemic, this assistance has actually opened up opportunities for social unrest.
Furthermore, Heri said, if this policy is true, the government must find the best scheme. Because, the funds disbursed were not small.
"I hope that if this policy is really executed, the scheme must be clear. Who are the 13 million workers who will receive the Rp32 trillion fund. Don't let this cause any more problems," he said.
According to Heri, so far President Joko Widodo has often reprimanded his ministers about the absorption of the budget for handling COVID-19 and its impact on the economy and has always focused on budget realization.
In fact, only 20 percent of the Rp695 trillion in stimulus funds for handling COVID-19 were realized or Rp.141 trillion. Plus, 40 percent of the ministry's Budget Usage Checklist (DIPA) does not yet exist.
"I am worried that the idea of pouring social assistance funds to workers whose salaries is below Rp. 5 million is to cover the inability of the government's economic team to execute what the president wants. The stimulus has stalled. So social assistance is made for these workers," he said.
Even so, Heri said, the government's steps to provide assistance to the community, including the business world, need to be appreciated. This is because the COVID-19 pandemic has had a tremendous impact on the people's economy.
Previously, Head of Fiscal Policy Agency for the Ministry of Finance, Febrio Nathan Kacaribu, said that the government's plan to distribute incentives in the form of additional salary assistance through direct cash assistance to workers earning below IDR 5 million per month was still being finalized.
Febrio confirmed that the amount of the incentives to be distributed is IDR 2.4 million per person. However, currently the government is still reviewing the method of distribution. Will he be paid once or how many times.
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