Mr. President has instructed his ministers to channel aid to the people to alleviate their burden during the emergency PPKM (enforcement).
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The government is preparing to disburse additional social assistance worth Rp39.19 trillion to alleviate the financial burden on the people caused by the enforcement of emergency public activity restrictions (PPKM), a senior minister has said.

"Mr. President has instructed his ministers to channel aid to the people to alleviate their burden during the emergency PPKM (enforcement)," Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, said at an online press conference in Jakarta on Saturday night.

Pandjaitan, who is also coordinator for the emergency PPKM, said President Joko Widodo has directed Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati and Social Affairs Minister Tri Rismaharini to realize the additional social assistance soon.

The aid will comprise the distribution of 10 kilograms of rice to 18.9 million beneficiary families and cash assistance to 10 million beneficiary families, he informed.

"(The government) will later provide additional aid in the form of basic necessities to 18.9 million beneficiary families," he said.

The government will also increase the budget funds for 5.9 million beneficiary families at the request of regional governments, allocate Rp10 trillion for the pre-employment card program, and extend electricity subsidies for households consuming 450-900 volt-ampere (VA) of power by another three months until December, 2021, Pandjaitan informed.

"(We) will also extend the internet quota subsidy for students, university students, teachers, and lecturers and subsidy for base electricity tariffs by another six months until December 2021," he said.

The government will also raise the budget allocation for the health sector to Rp13.21 trillion to cover the medical treatment of COVID-19 patients, provision of incentives to vaccinators, construction of field hospitals, purchase of oxygen, and distribution of 2 million packages of free COVID-19 drugs, among other things.

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Translator: Indra Arief P, Suharto
Editor: Sri Haryati
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