Social Ministry’s National Economic Recovery Realization Reaches 87.44 Percent

Minister of Social Affairs Juliari P. Batubara in his press statement, Wednesday (4/11), at the Presidential Office, Jakarta. (Photo by: Ministry of Social Affairs PR).

As part of the efforts to realize the National Economic Recovery (PEN) budget, Ministry of Social Affairs has announced it has implemented three social assistance programs.

“To date, budget realization of the PEN at the Ministry has reached Rp112 trillion or 87.44 percent. We just have to wait for the schedule to realize the rest of the budget,” Minister of Social Affairs Juliari P. Batubara. said at the Presidential Office, Jakarta, Wednesday (4/11).

The completed three programs, he said, are the Family Hope Program (PKH), cash social assistance for non-PKH / non-cash food assistance beneficiaries, and the rice social assistance (BSB).

The PKH assistance with a budget of Rp36.8 trillion has been distributed to 10 million beneficiary families, while cash social assistance for non-PKH / cash food assistance beneficiaries with a budget of Rp4.5 trillion has been distributed to 9 million beneficiary families.

In the meantime, rice social assistance with a budget of Rp5.26 trillion has been distributed to 10 million beneficiary families in the form of 450,000 tons of medium-quality rice.

However, the realization of rice social assistance is still recorded at Rp3.29 trillion (62.47 percent), he added.

“We only need to complete the administrative process since we have distributed 450,000 tons of medium-quality rice from the State Logistics Agency (Bulog),” he added.

Since a number of the Ministry’s social assistance programs are included in the PEN program, Juliari stated that maintaining high budget absorption is crucial.

“It will disrupt the PEN program if our budget realization is not optimal,” he said.

For the record, of Rp204.95 trillion on the 2020 PEN budget, more than half of it is allocated to Ministry of Social Affairs.

To date, the Ministry budget realization (including the PEN budget) continues to be in the highest position among ministries / institutions. (Ministry of Social Affairs PR/UN)

Translated by: Galuh Wicaksono
Reviewed by: Muhammad Ersan Pamungkas