Jakarta Provincial Government’s Covid-19 Aid Programs to Run until December

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – The Jakarta provincial government has announced the provision of social assistance programs for the city’s lower-income and impoverished groups until December 2020.

“The program will continue from the first phase in July until December,” said Vice Governor of Jakarta Ahmad Riza Patria during a webinar on “Access to Social Assistance Programs for Impoverished Residents in Jakarta during Covid-19" on June 26.

Read also: Indonesia’s Social Affairs Ministry Proposes 2021 Budget of Rp 91.9 Trillion

The Vice Governor, however, said that the distribution of the provincial government’s basic goods packages (sembako) will be reduced.

This comes as part of Jakarta’s ongoing new normal transition where businesses have reopened.

Ahmad also stated that the reduction in package distribution is in keeping with improvements to the economic situation in the capital city.

Read also: Tourist Attractions and Malls in Jakarta Half-Empty Despite Reopening

The Jakarta provincial government will continue identifying daily workers who have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

They will also continue to search for those who previously received the provincial government’s social assistance programs. It is unlikely that those individuals will receive social assistance benefits again once their work situation improves.

During the webinar event, the Jakarta Vice Governor shared his recent finding of data discrepancies among different government bodies or agencies.

The discrepancy affects access to social assistance programs, especially for the city’s most vulnerable communities.

Achmad said he hoped the database for social assistance programs will improve so that the groups that need assistance the most will be reached.

“Let’s use this moment to improve our data which in the end, helps to improve the distribution of sembako packages,” said Achmad.

Jakarta’s street vendors receive help

On June 27, around 108 street vendors in South Jakarta received social assistance benefits in the form of food supplies.

The recipients were street vendors of Indonesian meatballs (bakso) under the bakso business chain of Pawamajaya.

The Indonesian National Police assisted in the distribution of the food packages.

Read also: The Joke is on the Indonesian National Police

The National Police selected bakso sellers because they are among the groups whose livelihoods were severely impacted during the coronavirus pandemic.

Sales have plunged during the pandemic and many bakso vendors turned to the internet to sell their product.

Bakso sales for the Pawamajaya chain in South Jakarta plummeted 50 percent.

Head of Community Unit (RW) 7 Harno confirmed the social assistance distribution and hopes that the packages will help the community withstand the pandemic a bit longer. 

(Writer: Ryana Aryadita Umasugi, Walda Marison | Editor: Egidius Patnistik, Sabrina Asril, Irfan Maullana)

Source: https://megapolitan.kompas.com/read/2020/06/26/19585521/dki-akan-berikan-bansos-hingga-desember-tetapi-jumlahnya-berkurang

https://megapolitan.kompas.com/read/2020/06/27/15233431/susah-berdagang-selama-pandemi-ratusan-pedagang-bakso-gerobak-dapat

https://megapolitan.kompas.com/read/2020/06/26/16514091/wagub-dki-sebut-pemerintah-punya-kelemahan-dalam-hal-pendataan-termasuk