Additional Covid-19 Social Assistance, Govt Benefits Distributed

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Social Affairs Minister Rismaharini on Tuesday urged the majority of Indonesians to remain calm amidst the ‘emergency PPKM’ public restriction and assured that the government has spent Rp7.08 trillion for the distribution of a plethora of government aid and social assistance subjecting 5.9 million households. 

“They are newly registered people whose data was taken from regional governments. The government aid is Rp200,000 per family throughout July - December 2021,” said the former East Java governor on July 20, Antaranews reported.

The Social Affairs Ministry will also distribute additional aid for workers in the informal economy sector who are affected by the Covid-19 pandemic across the islands of Java and Bali within the emergency PPKM area.

It will take the form of 5 kilograms (2,010 tons in total) of rice aid for small food business owners, street vendors, motorcycle taxi drivers, freelance workers, daily job workers, contract workers, and more who are restricted from working amidst the public activity restriction. The minister says distribution is being conducted by police and military personnel. 

This additional social assistance completes the existing ones, which she says has been optimized to help fund over 33 million people survive the Covid-19 restriction. 

Read also: Emergency PPKM Lifted on July 26, Jokowi Cites Dropping Cases

ANTARA