One district in Papua has corrected the data (on recipients of social assistance) 100 percentJakarta (ANTARA) - Minister of Social Affairs, Tri Rismaharini, has urged local governments to verify data on recipients of social assistance.
In accordance with Law Number 13 of 2011 concerning the handling of the poor, the data on the poor is received by the central government from local governments, the minister said.
Local governments are authorized to verify such data, she informed.
"One district in Papua has corrected the data (on recipients of social assistance) 100 percent," she said while delivering a press statement at the Ministry of Social Affairs' Office, here on Tuesday.
According to the minister, in 2020, the names of 15 thousand candidates were proposed by Papua province for receiving social assistance, and in 2021, the number of recipients has increased to 28 thousand.
Related news: Social protection programs have helped reduce poverty: Indrawati
"Why is the number going up? Because we have fixed it," Rismaharini remarked.
She said that during her current tenure, data on approximately 14 million people has been verified by local governments.
Local governments can propose an increase in the number of social assistance recipients if there are residents in need of aid in an area, she added.
The Ministry of Social Affairs and the National Logistics Agency (Bulog) have distributed 200 million kilograms of rice to 10 million beneficiary families (KPM) under the Family Hope Program (PKH) and another 10 million beneficiaries under the Cash Social Assistance (BST) program, she informed.
Each beneficiary has received 10 kg of rice, which has been provided to help them cope with the impact of emergency movement restrictions, Rismaharini said in a statement issued here on Sunday.
Related news: President calls for prompt disbursal of social aid
The ministry has also distributed five kilograms of rice to informal sector workers who have been unable to work due to the emergency restrictions, she informed. They include street vendors, small shop owners, motorcycle taxi drivers, and freelancers in Java and Bali, she said.
“The data on the recipients of the five kilograms of rice aid was obtained from local governments. Recipients are those who do not receive or are not recipients of the three types of regular social assistance, namely PKH, Non-Cash Food Assistance (BPNT) / Basic Food Cards and BST," she explained.
The rice assistance has been distributed in districts and cities on the islands of Java and Bali since early July 2021, she noted.
The ministry has provided three thousand packages of five kilograms each for 122 districts and cities, and six thousand packages of five kilograms each for six provincial capitals on the two islands affected by the restrictions, the minister said.
Related news: Economic growth should be based on building climate resilience: IESR
Related news: President Jokowi hands over aid for micro enterprises
Translator: Devi N, Azis Kurmala
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2021
