Page 18 - e-KLIPING KETENAGAKERJAAN 10 SEPTEMBER 2020

“Data validation is indeed the key to prevent or minimize complaints like that,” Lili during a press
conference on Wednesday, adding that the government needs to increase education on social
aid to prevent confusion among the public.

Juliari said that the complaints related to social aid distribution would be verified by the KPK and
followed up by the respective regional administrations, which also had the authority to update
social aid beneficiaries’ data.

The Social Affairs Ministry was tasked with distributing around Rp 127 trillion (US$8.58 billion)
of the government’s Rp 203 trillion COVID-19 relief budget through several social assistance
programs, such as the Family Hope Program and staple food distribution.
On the same day, KPK leaders also met with Manpower Minister Ida Fauziyah, where the latter
gave an update regarding the ministry’s wage subsidy program.

The subsidy consists of Rp 600,000 in monthly assistance for four months for workers with a
monthly salary of less than Rp 5 million who are registered with the Workers Social Security
Agency (BPJS Ketenagakerjaan).

Ida said that more than 4.8 million workers would receive the monthly subsidy from the first and
second distribution phase, which is nearing completion, adding that it is currently validating the
beneficiaries’ data for the third distribution wave with the BPJS Ketenagakerjaan.

“We hope [the KPK] would help us with this program so that it would not miss its target. This
program is meant to maintain and increase workers’ economic capabilities amid the COVID-19
[pandemic],” Ida said.

KPK commissioner Alexander Marwata said that the ministry also needed to improve
beneficiaries’ data validation for the program, such as by cross-checking BPJS Ketenagakerjaan
data with tax records to make sure the workers really earned less than Rp 5 million a month.

Furthermore, amid many forms of social aid being distributed, Alexander warned the government
to prevent overlapping assistance that could cause some people to receive more than others.

Caption:

Teamwork: Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises Minister Teten Masduki (right) and
Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) deputy chairman Nurul Ghufron address a media
conference after signing an agreement for tighter supervision of recipients of the government’s
working capital assistance for micro, small and medium enterprises on Wednesday.

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