Cash social aid, the previous years of subsidy practices' evaluation result.

Foto: Tribunnews.com

Wednesday, September 28th, 2022 | 16.23 WIB

Gabriella Keziafanya

TANGERANG – Responding to social inequality that occurred, the Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani announced Rp24.17 trillion (IDR) in cash social aid to offset the increase in fuel prices. assisted by the Minister of Social Affairs, these aid will be provided in 3 sections: beneficiary families, workers, and region transport subsidies.

When the global inflation is also creeping into the local economics sector, the government is taking steps to reduce public pressure and poverty. They identified the distribution of subsidies into three. The first group is 20.65 million groups or families of beneficiaries, will receive direct cash aid paid in the first Rp300,000 and the second Rp300,000. Minister of Social Affairs Tri Rismaharini will participate in the payment process to various post office channels throughout Indonesia.

The second group—in accordance with the president's directive—includes 16 million workers with a maximum salary of IDR 3.5 million per month. For this reason, cash in the amount of Rp600,000 will be given after the Minister of Manpower and Transmigration released its technical guidelines so that they can immediately make payments to workers.

Not to forget, local governments also take part in the plan to protect people's purchasing power. The Minister of Home Affairs and the Minister of Finance established a regulation that 2% of the general transfer funds would be transferred “to the people” in the form of subsidies for public transportation, motorcycle taxis, and fishermen.

Following this new policies, our government has received praise and criticism from various circles. Society expects practices that are “right on target” and unbiased. Considering that the nominal given is not small, the flow of the cash fund control system is a concern because of its vulnerability when transferred.

It is interesting that this social support is different from previous years' government subsidy aid, Sri explained the reasons clearly.

“If the subsidy is given through goods (such as diesel, LPG), the people who enjoy it are the people who use the goods. If we continue to use energy subsidies, only those who use more energy will enjoy it,” she added. She also emphasized that this decision had been through joint consultation and mixed with previous suggestions to identify the target recipient, such as names and addresses.

According to the live interview on KompasTV, currently Sri said the governments are trying to collect data via the socio-economic register as a census of the socio-economic grouping of the community. It is hoped that the existence of these data can exclude any group that deserves aid.