KSP has applauded and supported parties to become strategic partners to monitor the social assistance program.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian government has invited several parties to come on board as strategic partners for evaluating and monitoring the implementation of its social assistance programs.

It is yet to make strategic partners who would provide information on the evaluation of the programs and findings in the field, Chief of the Presidential Staff Office (KSP), Moeldoko, said here on Tuesday.

"KSP has applauded and supported parties to become strategic partners to monitor the social assistance program," Moeldoko said in a statement issued in response to a report on 95 irregularities involving administrative mistakes, discrimination, data, and data transparency in social aid distribution in one city and three districts made by the Human Resource Development Institute (Lakpesdam) of the Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU).

The findings are important for KSP to carry out its monitoring and evaluation function, he said adding, the office would verify the findings before it conveys them to the Social Affairs Minister.

"Similarly, the Lakpesdam findings will be followed up by KSP and conveyed in a meeting with the Social Affairs Minister. But we need to verify the findings," he stated.

Meanwhile, Deputy II of KSP, Abetnego Tarigan, has admitted the public still has limited information on the types of social assistance programs, their target, and the institutions handling the programs.

The Presidential Staff Office has publicized the aid programs and set up a complaint channel SP4N-LAPOR! to receive public complaints on the implementation of the social assistance program, Tarigan said.

Deputy chief of Lakpesdam PBNU, Daniel Zuchron, said the organization's monitoring of social aid programs is aimed at ensuring on-target distribution of aid and finding solutions for problems.

"We can recommend improvement in the management of social aid distribution in time of crisis, especially for vulnerable and minority groups," he stated.

Zuchron noted that the Lakpesdam's findings have passed through a validation and verification process.

The organization has found 73 irregularities in distribution, including double aid, inaccurate receivers, data manipulation, power abuse, low quality food, and illegal payment, he said.

It also found 22 cases of alleged discrimination involving disabled persons (14 cases), religious-based discrimination (seven cases), and transgender persons (one case), he added. (INE)

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Translator: Rangga Pandu AJ, Sri Haryati
Editor: Suharto
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