Sri Mulyani Reveals No Significant Changes To The Social Assistance Budget

Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani (Photo: Antara)

Minister of Finance (Menkeu) Sri Mulyani Indrawati said the social assistance budget (bansos) managed by the Ministry of Social Affairs (Kemensos) in the 2024 State Budget did not experience any significant changes.

"In the 2024 State Budget there is no significant change in the social assistance budget managed by the Ministry of Social Affairs," said Sri Mulyani when giving a statement at the trial of the dispute over General Election Results (PHPU) or the 2024 Presidential Election, Friday, April 5, 2024.

Sri Mulyani said that in the 2024 State Budget there is a social protection budget (perlinsos) in the context of controlling inflation, price stability, and eliminating poverty according to national priority targets.

Meanwhile, the social assistance budget ceiling in 2024 was recorded at IDR 152.3 trillion, an increase of around 6.08 percent from the 2023 social assistance budget ceiling which was recorded at IDR 143.57 trillion.

Sri Mulyani conveyed that the realization of disbursement until February 2024 was recorded at IDR 22.53 trillion, an increase of 134.86 percent from the realization in February 2023 which amounted to IDR 9.58 trillion.

Sri Mulyani explained that there was an impression that the social assistance disbursement budget had increased due to the arrangement of recipient data in 2023 carried out by the Ministry of Social Affairs.

Sri Mulyani said that changes actually occurred in other social protection programs (perlinsos) managed by the Ministry of Education and Culture, research and technology (Kemendikbud, Research and Technology and the Ministry of Manpower (Kemenaker).

Sri Mulyani explained that the social welfare expenditure distributed through the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Ministry of Religion increased by IDR 7.47 trillion compared to 2023.

"This is due to the increase in the cost unit and the addition of KIP Lecture recipients as well as the payment of the job loss guarantee program and contribution assistance for workers who are not beneficiaries," he explained.