Good News! Government's 30 Kg Rice Aid to Continue Until December

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia — Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said President Prabowo Subianto wants the rice assistance programme to continue until the end of the year to anticipate the impact of El Nino.

The matter was discussed during a limited meeting at the State Palace with President Prabowo Subianto on Monday (7/9/2026). Regarding the mitigation of El Nino’s effects, several programmes have been prepared, including rice assistance.

The rice aid will be extended through October, November and December 2026.

“The rice assistance up until September has been 30 kg, and the President’s instruction is for it to continue in the following months, namely October, November and December,” he said.

As is known, the rice aid distributed previously was channelled to 33.2 million households in the first to fourth income deciles, at 10 kilograms per month for three months.

In addition, Airlangga said the government continues to monitor the impact of volcanic eruption disasters on economic conditions in affected areas.

The monitoring is being carried out to identify disrupted sectors and to ensure that handling measures can be adjusted to developments on the ground.

“Yes, first of all, in the affected areas there will certainly be a contraction, and we are still monitoring which programmes are being hit across the various provinces,” Airlangga said.

Furthermore, the government is also examining the impact of the eruptions of several volcanoes on people’s mobility and economic activity. Airlangga said monitoring is being conducted on the effects of eruptions at several volcanoes in Indonesia, particularly on community activity in affected regions.

“We are now monitoring the consequences of the eruptions of five to six volcanoes in Indonesia. Especially with regard to people’s activities, which have decreased significantly,” he added.

Beyond community activity, disruption caused by the disasters also has the potential to affect the logistics sector. The government is watching the situation closely, including its impact on aviation, which is linked to cargo transport.

“Logistics-wise, disruptions have certainly occurred in the aviation sector, because aviation is also connected to cargo,” Airlangga said.

Airlangga further stated that the government is still monitoring the development of these disruptions, including estimating how long closures or restrictions in the aviation sector will need to remain in place.

“We are still monitoring how long this will need to be closed,” Airlangga said.