REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The government claimed that the first batch of disbursement of social assistance under the Family Hope Program (PKH) in 2019 had reached 96 percent. Director General for Protection and Social Assurance of the Social Affairs Ministry Harry Hikmat said on Friday that the remaining four percent not yet covered by the program are those in remote areas.

Disbursement of the social assistance in 2019 had begun in January, and by April, the ministry was able to proceed with the second batch of the funding. PKH is one of the government's programs to alleviate poverty, and based on a survey, the program has had a significant impact on reducing poverty in the country.

In 2018, the program had adopted the flat system wherein each beneficiary family received the same amount of assistance of Rp1.89 million. In 2019, the index of the program comprised regular assistance for regular PKH beneficiaries at Rp550 thousand and PKH access of Rp1 million to be disbursed only once in the first batch.

Other components of the assistance are Rp2.4 million for a pregnant mother, Rp2.4 million for pre-school children, Rp900 thousand for elementary school children, Rp1.5 million for junior high school children, Rp2 million for a senior high school student, Rp2.4 million for a disabled person, and Rp2.4 million for an elderly citizen.

Meanwhile, disbursement of the non-cash food assistance (BPNT) has reached 91.29 percent. The government claimed that BPNT is better than the previous rice for the poor program (Rastra), as beneficiaries could select the rice quality of their choice, and it could be used to buy eggs.

BPNT is a food aid program wherein beneficiaries received Rp110 thousand of money every month, transferred to their bank accounts, and it could be withdrawn using the Prosperous Family Card, or KKS.

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