Complaint center called for to help monitor cash aid program<\/p>\n
Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Following numerous reports of errors in the distribution of fuel
\ncompensation cards in the capital, the Indonesian Consumers
\nFoundation (YLKI) is calling for the establishment of a complaint
\ncenter to help protect poor residents.<\/p>\n
The central government, through regional administrations, is
\ndelivering cash assistance of Rp 100,000 a month to poor families
\nacross the country to help offset the effects of the recent fuel
\nprice increases.<\/p>\n
However, there have been numerous reports that thousands of
\nthe fuel compensation cards needed to claim the assistance have
\nfallen into the hands of people who do not qualify for the
\nprogram, including civil servants.<\/p>\n
YLKI member Sudaryatmo said on Saturday the Central Statistic
\nAgency (BPS) was not equipped to document every poor resident
\nacross the country.<\/p>\n
\"From the beginning we have objected to the way the cash is
\nbeing dispersed, as it is difficult to determine who is poor and
\nwho is not. The way the program is set up is also prone to abuse.
\nThey should have realized the quality of government officials at
\nthe subdistrict level,\" he told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Sudaryatmo said the only way to make sure every poor resident
\nreceived the cash assistance was for the government set up a
\ncomplaint center that was fully accessible by the poor.<\/p>\n
\"They would also be able to file reports on the misuse of
\nfunds in the program. That kind of participation would allow the
\ngovernment to monitor the program,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Sudaryatmo, however, said such a center would be useless
\nunless the government followed up on every complaint and report
\nfiled by the public.<\/p>\n
He said the government could cooperate with credible non-
\ngovernmental institutions to establish the center.<\/p>\n
To help offset the effects of the fuel price increases that
\ntook effect on Oct. 1, the government is giving Rp 100,000
\n(US$10) a month to poor families across the country. The
\ngovernment is using data from the BPS to determine who qualifies
\nfor the assistance.<\/p>\n
In Jakarta, 101,219 poor families were initially registered to
\nreceive money under the program.<\/p>\n
However, there are growing concerns over the accuracy of the
\ndata, with many experts saying most of the recipients of the cash
\ndo not qualify for the program.<\/p>\n
Last week, the BPS acknowledged it had made mistakes with its
\ndata. Subsequently, the agency removed 3,539 families from its
\nlist of those entitled to receive the cash assistance.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the head of the statistical analysis division at
\nBPS Jakarta, Tefi Mathias, said his office had been checking over
\nthe initial data for the past three weeks.<\/p>\n
\"We have found that many families and neighborhood unit heads
\nfalsified their data. For instance, many neighborhood unit heads
\nwho are not poor were included on the lists,\" he told the Post.<\/p>\n
Tefi said all 250 officials at BPS Jakarta had gone door-to-
\ndoor to verify whether families on the list of recipients really
\nqualified for the money.<\/p>\n
He said his office would finish the verification process on
\nMonday.<\/p>\n
\"We have finished the verification in Central Jakarta, North
\nJakarta, South Jakarta and West Jakarta. On Sunday, we hope to
\nfinish verifying families in East Jakarta. We will announce the
\nresults on Monday,\" Tefi said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/complaint-center-called-for-to-help-monitor-cash-aid-program-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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