Emergency PPKM: Economist Suggests Govt to Increase Cash Aid to Rp1.5mn

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Director of the Center of Economic and Law Studies or Celios, Bhima Yudhistira, criticized the amount of cash social assistance (BST) set by the government amid the enforcement of the emergency state of public mobility restriction or emergency PPKM. He considered the cash assistance too small.

According to Bhima, the amount of social assistance for the beneficiaries should be around Rp1-1.5 million per month per family. "The cash assistance of Rp300,000 is too small, it should be increased by at least Rp1-1.5 million per family," he said when contacted on Wednesday, July 14.

Bhima said that the cash assistance could support the people whose incomes declined during the Covid-19 curb period. Ideally, cash assistance should also be given periodically for the next six months in order to rebuild the purchasing power of the poor and vulnerable.

The plan for the distribution of cash assistance has been submitted by the Ministry of Social Affairs some time ago. This step was taken in line with the stipulation of the Emergency PPKM on July 3-20.

BST will be distributed for May and June, having previously stopped in April. The cash assistance is worth Rp300,000 per month.

With the amount of the cash assistance, each family will receive an allocation of Rp600,000 in one disbursement for two months. The Ministry of Social Affairs promised that the cash aid would be disbured in the first week of the Emergency PPKM.

Read: Sri Mulyani: Cash Aid Program Extended by 2 Months for 10mn Families

Francisca Christy Rosana | Translated by Maudey K. Setyakusuma (Intern)