We hope BLT BBM would be able to maintain the people's purchasing power
Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said that direct cash assistance as a form of transfer of fuel oil subsidies (BLT BBM) provided by the government was targeted to maintain the people's purchasing power.

"We hope BLT BBM would be able to maintain the people's purchasing power," the head of state noted at the Saumlaki Post Office in Tanimbar Islands District, Maluku, on Friday.

BLT BBM is direct cash assistance from the government to beneficiaries worth Rp150 thousand per person that will be given for a period of four months. The BLT, amounting to Rp300 thousand, will be disbursed twice through various channels of the Indonesian Post Office.

"We just finished handing over the BLT BBM, amounting to Rp600 thousand, for four months for beneficiaries at the Tanimbar Islands District in Maluku," Jokowi added.

Meanwhile, in connection with the certainty of fuel price, Jokowi said he was still awaiting the calculation.

"For the (price) of fuel, everything is still being calculated, and today, the calculation will be handed over to me," the head of state remarked.

The government has also allocated social assistance worth Rp24.17 trillion from the transfer of fuel subsidies for three types of assistance. First, the BLT for 20.6 million beneficiaries amounted to Rp150 thousand each month for a period of four months, with a total budget of Rp12.4 trillion.

Second, wage subsidy assistance of Rp600 thousand to 16 million workers, with a maximum salary of Rp3.5 million per month, which is paid once, with a budget of Rp9.6 trillion.

Third, assistance from local governments using two percent of the general transfer funds, specifically the General Allocation Fund and Revenue Sharing Fund, worth Rp2.17 trillion. The assistance aims to help the transportation sector, such as public transportation, motorcycle taxis, fishermen, and additional social protection assistance.

The government is also preparing several schemes to change the subsidized fuel price policy, specifically Pertalite and Solar fuels, as an effort to maintain the subsidized fuel quota to meet the needs of the community until the end of 2022 according to the 2022 state budget ceiling.

Meanwhile, the subsidy and compensation expenditures disbursed by the government until August 2022 had reached Rp502.4 trillion, comprising energy subsidies of Rp208.9 trillion and energy compensation of Rp293.5 trillion.

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Translator: Desca Lidya N, Resinta S
Editor: Sri Haryati
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