Social Minister Risma: Social Assistance From The Government Is No Longer In The Form Of Goods

A man crossing the river carrying the President's social assistance in the interior of the Meratus Mountains, Datar Ajab Village, South Kalimantan in January 2021. (Between-Bayu Pratama)

Minister of Social Affairs (Mensos) Tri Rismaharini explained that social assistance (bansos) from the government during his leadership was no longer in the form of goods.

The woman who is familiarly called Risma said this was in accordance with President Joko Widodo's direction to change the distribution of social assistance in the form of money in 2021.

"Because I hold the president's direction that you don't help with the form of goods, but help with the form of money. I will hold that," he said in Jakarta, Wednesday, May 24, confiscated by Antara.

So starting in 2021, there will be no rice assistance at the Ministry of Social Affairs (Kemensos). Social Minister Risma also firmly refused to provide social assistance in the form of goods.

The Minister of Social Affairs said that supervision of distribution in the form of goods must be more complicated and will take time. Like the government's program some time ago to distribute Direct Cash Assistance (BLT) for Cooking Oil and BLT BBM is realized in the form of money, not goods.

"Distribution of aid with money will facilitate supervision," said Social Minister Risma.

"So later if there is 2020, there will be a rice social assistance, not from the Ministry of Social Affairs. I don't want it to be in the form of goods," he said.

He also emphasized that if there is a 2021 rice social assistance program, it will not be done by the Ministry of Social Affairs.

Previously, investigators from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) searched the Ministry of Social Affairs office on Tuesday, May 23, to collect data on documents and evidence related to the alleged corruption case in the distribution of rice social assistance for KPM PKH in 2020-2021.

The offices that were searched by the KPK were the rooms of the Secretary of the Directorate General of Social Empowerment. The KPK brought a number of documents and evidence such as notebooks and cellphones.