The realization of the first phase of disbursement of fuel cash assistance (BLT BBM) has reached 98.1 percent in Yogyakarta, with only around seven thousand beneficiary families in the province yet to receive the aid.
“As of now, we have not closed the disbursement of the cash assistance. We are still looking for beneficiaries who have not taken the aid,” executive general manager of the main branch office of state-owned postal company Pos Indonesia in Yogyakarta Fahdian Hasibuan informed here on Thursday.
Based on data, the number of BLT BBM recipients in Yogyakarta is 374,761. So far, the assistance has been received by 367,698 of the targeted beneficiary families.
According to Hasibuan, there are several possible reasons why many residents have not yet collected the aid; for example, they may no longer live in Yogyakarta, or the listed beneficiaries may have died.
In addition, there are several residents who can no longer be considered eligible to receive the assistance since their socioeconomic condition has improved.
Until now, there has been no policy from the central government through the relevant ministries to close the first phase of the BLT BBM disbursement, he added.
“If it is closed later and there are still some (funds) left, the funds will be returned to the state treasury,” he informed.
Fuel cash assistance is one of the social assistance packages prepared by the government from diverting fuel subsidies.
The government has prepared a total budget of Rp12.4 trillion to provide fuel cash assistance for 20.65 million beneficiary families, which is being distributed through PT Pos Indonesia.
Under the aid program, each beneficiary family will be provided assistance of Rp150 thousand per month for a period of four months, with the disbursement conducted in two phases. Thus, each beneficiary family will receive Rp300 thousand in the first phase, which started in September, and another Rp300 thousand in the second phase in December.
Source: Antara News