Secretary-General at the Ministry of Social Affairs Harry Hikmat stated that the cooking oil cash assistance (BLT) can be used for fulfilling other basic needs and as business capital.
Hikmat conveyed that statement by referring to President Joko Widodo’s statement during the launch of the cooking oil BLT program at the Angso Duo Traditional Market, Jambi, on Thursday, in which he urged that the cash assistance be used for beneficial needs, such as business capital, or to buy basic necessities, including cooking oil, whose price was increasing currently.
“It should also be emphasized that in principle, the government reduces the people’s burden on spending when the prices of basic needs increase. Hence, its use is not only limited to purchasing cooking oil but can also be used for other basic needs,” he noted during a virtual media briefing concerning the cooking oil cash assistance, on Friday.
Hikmat said the president, during his visit to the Angso Duo Traditional Market, had also laid emphasis on the utilization of cooking oil cash assistance for vendors using cooking oil in their businesses.
Hikmat noted that the provision of cash assistance is a solution presented by the government, so that people can continue their businesses without being burdened by the increase in the price of commodities, including cooking oil.
The cooking oil cash assistance is the president’s policy to reduce the people’s spending in the midst of rising prices in the month of Ramadan, including the increase in the price of cooking oil.
The cooking oil cash assistance worth Rp100 thousand is provided to each beneficiary for April, May, and June 2022, though paid all at once, specifically Rp300 thousand, in April 2022 and will be distributed in cash through PT Pos Indonesia.
The program is targeting as many as 20.65 million beneficiaries comprising 18.8 million beneficiaries that are recorded as recipients of the non-cash food assistance (BPNT) and 1.85 million beneficiaries registered as recipients of the Family Hope Program (PKH) that have not been registered as BPNT recipients.
Source: Antara News