Our affected people need COVID-19 relief programs, such as cash transfers, as this novel coronavirus disease has yet to end,
Gorontalo (ANTARA) - The Gorontalo Utara District's Legislative Body has requested the government to continue its COVID-19 relief programs to assist households acutely encumbered by the socio-economic impacts of this ongoing pandemic to help them withstand hardships.

"Our affected people need COVID-19 relief programs, such as cash transfers, as this novel coronavirus disease has yet to end," Deputy Speaker of Gorontalo Utara District's Legislative Body Roni Imran stated at an event on Wednesday.

Speaking at the third phase of cash transfers to 162 recipients in Bulalo Village, Kwandang Sub-district, Imran highlighted that in the wake of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the government should ensure that basic requirements of all affected families are met.

The legislative body has been tasked with supervising the implementation of this cash transfer program, he remarked.

Bulalo Village currently has 759 households, of which 162 are cash transfer recipients.

The coronavirus outbreak initially struck the Chinese city of Wuhan at the end of 2019 and then spread to various parts of the world, including countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

The Indonesian government had made an announcement of the country's first confirmed cases on March 2, 2020. Since the onset, the government has been sentient of the public health and economic issues arising on account of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Consequently, the COVID-19 pandemic has also led to an increase in the number of poor people in communities owing to various economic and business sectors being severely disrupted and triggering layoffs.

ANTARA noted that last June, the National Development Planning Ministry/National Development Agency (Bappenas) had forecast some 1.2-2.7 million other people being pushed into poverty.

In curbing the increase in the poor population, the government had launched intervention programs, such as the distribution of essentials, expansion of the Family Hope Program (PKH), Cash Transfer Assistance (BLT) sourced from the Village Funds, and cash social assistance from the Social Affairs Ministry.

Bappenas' Director for Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare Maliki opined that the government's intervention would help contain the rise in the poor population up to 26 million to 27.5 million. It would also usher in economic recovery.
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Translator: Susanti S, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2020