TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko Widodo or Jokowi resumed rice social assistance distribution today, by directly delivering the aid to beneficiary households in West Cikarang, Bekasi. Jokowi also inspected the government rice reserves at the Bulog warehouse during his working visit to West Java.

According to Jokowi, fulfilling food necessities is his government’s current priority. Thus, social assistance programs will be extended to June, adjusting to state financial conditions.

Jokowi believed the whole global community is facing a food crisis these days, and rice prices steadily increased as a direct consequence of that.

“But in our country, the citizens are supported by 10 kilograms of rice assistance each month. This aid will be delivered until June and beyond, based on the State Budget condition,” he said, as written in Bulog’s statement.

Meanwhile, the head of the National Food Agency (Bapanas) Arief Prasetyo Adi, the social assistance has resumed distribution since yesterday, Thursday, February 15, 2024. The social assistance programs were temporarily halted during the silence period of the general elections after criticisms emerged accusing of social assistance politicization.

The criticism emerged after the government increased the frequency of social assistance delivery ahead of the election, with the president distributing the aid directly to people. This action was deemed a calculated effort to hoist up Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming Raka’s votes.

“Rice assistance is resumed post-election. We would like to emphasize that this program has nothing to do with any [political] interest,” he said.

Executive Director of Bulog Bayu Krisnamurthi that the public company has 1.4 million tons of rice stock and that it was “very adequate to distribute rice assistance until June, distribute SPHP rice, and tackle the market post-eid al fitr”.

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