In 2022, the government will continue the BT-PKLW Program by adding fishers as beneficiariesJakarta (ANTARA) - Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto affirmed that the Cash Assistance for Street Vendors and Stall Operators (BT-PKLW) Program for fishers focusses on reducing extreme poverty in Indonesia.
"In 2022, the government will continue the BT-PKLW Program by adding fishers as beneficiaries," the minister noted in an official statement here on Monday.
Amid the pandemic, the continuity of the business sector, especially of micro and small enterprises, has become the government's primary concern. To this end, it has implemented several assistance programs, one of which is the BT-PKLW Program in 2021, which is a form of compensation for economic losses due to a spike in the number of COVID-19 cases in mid-2021.
Hartarto noted that the assistance could help revive the economy of people at lower levels to maintain the purchasing power, business continuity, and the livelihoods of people, who run micro-enterprises, especially street vendors and stall operators.
The minister explained that the 2022 BT-PKLWN specifically targets 212 districts and cities that are included in the Zero percent Extreme Poverty Alleviation Program Roadmap in 2024, with assistance amounting to Rp600 thousand per person for 2.76 million recipients comprising one million street vendors and stall operators and 1.76 million fishers.
Specifically for fishers, the criteria are marine and fisheries business actors, who are labor fishers, fishers catching fish without ships, or fishers owning ships with less than 5 Gross Tonnage (GT).
To ensure the eligible beneficiaries receive the aid, the government has involved the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the National Police (Polri) in conducting data collection and aid distribution.
Of the targeted 212 districts and cities, the TNI handles the aid distribution in 106 districts and cities, and likewise, the Polri is also tasked with distributing the aid in the other 106 districts.
The distribution process is facilitated by the BT-PKLWN POLRI Information System and the BT-PKLWN TNI Information System.
"The government thanks the TNI and Polri that conducted data collection and aid distribution to the community," the minister remarked.
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Translator: Agatha Olivia, Raka Adji
Editor: Sri Haryati
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