"In the 2024 State Budget, there was no significant change in the social assistance budget managed by the Social Ministry," the minister remarked while addressing eight Constitutional Court (MK) judges here on Friday.
The minister attended the trial of the 2024 Presidential Election Result Dispute (PHPU) at the MK on Friday.
She explained that the government’s total social protection expenditure budget for 2024 is Rp496.8 trillion, or around US$31.3 billion.
Indrawati detailed that the Social Ministry has the allocation of Rp75.6 trillion, or US$4.7 billion, for social assistance programs, such as the Family Hope Program (PKH), staple commodity cards, and other programs.
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Meanwhile, Rp80.5 trillion, or US$5 billion, for social assistance is managed by other ministries and agencies, such as the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology and Religious Affairs Ministry.
The remaining Rp340.7 trillion, or US$21.4 billion, is in the form of energy subsidies, such as fuel, liquefied natural gas (LNG), and electricity as well as non-energy subsidies, comprising fertilizer, public service obligation (PSO), smallholder business loan (KUR), housing loan interest subsidy, and disaster mitigation.
"The Rp75.6 trillion social assistance budget in the Social Affairs Ministry increased as compared to the previous year. In 2023, the social assistance budget was Rp74.3 trillion," Indrawati pointed out.
The minister remarked that the realization of the social assistance budget until February 2024 reached Rp12.8 trillion for PKH distribution for 10 million beneficiary families and staple commodity card for 18.7 million families.
The MK summoned four ministers to attend the trail of the PHPU case that was proposed by the Anies Baswedan-Muhaimin Iskandar and Ganjar Pranowo-Mahfud MD’s legal teams.
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Translator: Fath M, Kenzu
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
Copyright © ANTARA 2024
