Of course, the scope will be nation-wide. Next year, there will be an increase in attention to elderly people and orphans, and also those whose parents did not die due to COVID-19, and people with disabilities
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Social Affairs Ministry expects the Social Rehabilitation Assistance (ATENSI) Program for elderly, orphans, and people with disabilities to be implemented in 2022.

The Social Affairs Ministry expects to receive approval for additional spending budget from the Finance Ministry by starting the implementation of ATENSI, Social Affairs Ministry's Secretary General Harry Hikmat noted here on Wednesday.

This comes along with the approval of additional spending budget from the Finance Ministry to enter the 2022 Budget Implementation List (DIPA) revised by the Social Affairs Ministry.

People with disabilities and no relatives are prioritized for the assistance that is offered in the form of daily food aid at least twice a day with the involvement of the local community.

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This practice mimics the steps taken by Social Affairs Minister Tri Rismaharini while serving as deputy mayor of Surabaya, East Java, in which the local community plays a role in helping elderly and disabled people.

The practice is expected to be emulated in various regions.

"Of course, the scope will be nation-wide. Next year, there will be an increase in attention to elderly people and orphans, and also those whose parents did not die due to COVID-19, and people with disabilities," he remarked.

Earlier, President Joko Widodo stated that the allocated social protection budget of Rp479,1 trillion will be channeled to help the poor and vulnerable groups for meeting their basic necessities.

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The social protection budget also aims to break the chain of poverty in the long term.

The president stressed that reformation will be conducted in the social protection program.

This is done by improving the benefit recipient database through the development of the Social Economy Registration (Regsosek) data, improvement of life-long and adaptive social protection, accurate and benefit recipients-based subsidy, and acceleration of extreme poverty eradication efforts.

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Translator: Devi Nindy S R, Fadhli Ruhman
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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