"As we have stated in the state budget law, the nominal value of funds for PKH recipients doubled and the number of PKH recipients also increased."Jakarta (ANTARA) - Money disbursed from the social assistance fund in the first two months of 2019 rose 70.1 percent to Rp23.6 trillion from Rp13.9 trillion in the same period of 2018, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said.
The amount rose as the number of the Family Hope Program (PKH) recipients and the nominal value of the fund increased, she told the press in Jakarta on Tuesday.
The money disbursed in January and February 2019 accounted for 23.1 percent of the ceiling of Rp102,1 trillion set in the state budget, she said.
The increase in the number of Family Hope Program (PKH) recipients and the nominal value of the fund was accorded with the state budget law of 2019 endorsed by the House of Representatives (DPR) and the government in October 2018.
"As we have stated in the state budget law, the nominal value of funds for PKH recipients doubled and the number of PKH recipients also increased," she said.
The earlier-than-expected disbursement of the social assistance fund is also because of the disbursement of funds for participants' contributions or the Health Care and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan).
So far, the Finance Ministry has paid Rp8.4 trillion for the contribution of the Health Care and Social Security participants.
Meanwhile, the realization of subsidies in the 2019 state budget until late February 2019 reached Rp10.72 trillion, accounting for 4.78 percent of the ceiling of Rp224.32 trillion in the state budget 2020.
The realization of subsidies until February 2019 is lower than that of last year when it reached 5.73 percent of the ceiling.
Translator: Indra Arief Pribadi/Suharto
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2019
