Gov’t Increases Number of Staple Food Card Program Recipients

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Amid the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, the Government has announced it will increase the number of recipients of the staple food card program.

According to Ministry of Finance’s Director General of Budget Askolani, the Government has increased the number of staple food card recipients from 15.2 million to 20 million recipients.

The recipients will receive Rp200,000 per month each starting from March to December this year, Askolani added.

“Some 15.2 million recipients will receive an additional amount of Rp50,000 per month, from Rp150,000 to Rp 200,000 for nine months ahead,” Askolani said during a dialog program entitled “Social Assistance Amid COVID-19 Pandemic” through a Video Conference on Wednesday (8/4) in Jakarta.

With the rising number of recipients, Askolani added, the Government has increased the budget from Rp28.08 trillion to Rp43.6 trillion.

“The assistance will be able to cover up to 25% of basic needs of middle to lower income people,” Askolani said.

Meanwhile, Director General of Treasury Andin Hadiyanto pointed out the assistance will be distributed non-cash through banks, while expressing hope that the people could use the money to purchase nutritious food.

For the record, the program is part of the Government’s social assistance program aimed at maintaining people’s purchasing power to make ends meet amid the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak. (Ministry of Finance PR/EN)

Translator: Muhardi
Reviewed by: M. Ersan Pamungkas