Gov’t to Maximize Cash Labor-Intensive Program to Maintain People’s Purchasing Power

Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto delivers his statement after an online limited meeting, Tuesday (7/4). (Photo by: PR/Ibrahim)

Cash Labor-Intensive Program must be maximized to assist the people as well as their purchasing power in time of COVID-19, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs has said.

“As we do for Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing, Ministry of Transportation, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Ministry of Villages, we also encourage regional governments to prioritize labor-intensive programs,” the Coordinating Minister said after an online limited meeting on Tuesday (7/4).

This program, Airlangga stated, prioritizes informal workers and is expected to absorb a large number of workers so as to reduce unemployment and poverty. “In the implementation of the program, it must meet the health standard in terms of numbers and the arrangements,” he added.

Airlangga went on to say that according to the President’s directive, the budgets need to be refocused and reallocated. “Some ministries presented their reports already, Ministry of Villages will do so, but Ministry of Manpower has already set aside their budget for labor-intensive programs,” he said.

The Coordinating Minister cited examples of the programs such as to produce disinfectants, face masks, implement productive labor-intensive programs in order to boost  people’s participation to work in the work training centers (BLKs), Community BLK, and training agencies (LPK). “Cooperation with Village-Owned Enterprises can be implemented for the products produced through the community BLKs” he said.

At the moment, Airlangga said, Ministry of Manpower is creating labor-intensive programs post and during the recovery of COVID-19.

Airlangga also stated that Ministry of Cooperatives also went on procedures relaxation as well as budget refocusing and reallocation. “The Government has allocated budget for the convenience of payment of installments and KUR (smallholder business credit) installments for small and medium businesses,” he said, adding that these programs should also reach the recipients of UMi program and other micro-credit programs.

He further said that the Ministry is also preparing programs to help savings and loan cooperatives.

In addition, the Coordinating Minister said, Ministry of Agriculture will prepare several programs such as buffer program for the harvest season in April, May, and June. This is expected to maintain price of grain and rice as well as other commodities such as in the poultry sector. “The Government and Bulog will prepare the buffer programs,” he said.

Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing, he said, will prepare labor-intensive programs, irrigation, and others. Ministry of Transportation will also implement the directive by instructing the contractors to impose labor-intensive works.

All of these programs, Airlangga stated, should be implemented in an integrated and accelerated time and manners. “So that the people can find out where and when the programs will be implemented,” he concluded. (TGH/EN)

Translated by: Fairuzzamani Inayatillah
Reviewed by: Mia M. Bonaedy