Prabowo proposes housing aid in the form of building materials

Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Prabowo Subianto has proposed that housing assistance for low-income communities (MBR) be provided in the form of building materials as an alternative to cash assistance.

At a plenary cabinet meeting at the State Palace in Jakarta on Monday, the President asked the Ministry of Housing and Settlement Areas (PKP) and the Ministry of Social Affairs to study the proposal to change the disbursement mechanism of the Self-Help Housing Stimulus Assistance (BSPS) programme.

“Perhaps instead of giving money, we give materials. Give cement, give roof tiles, give timber, or give lightweight steel and so on. So that more people can receive it,” said Prabowo.

According to the President, distributing assistance in the form of building materials could reduce the value of assistance per recipient, meaning the number of people benefiting could be expanded.

Prabowo asked Minister of Housing and Settlement Areas Maruarar Sirait and Minister of Social Affairs Saifullah Yusuf to study the possibility of increasing the number of beneficiaries by adjusting the value of the assistance.

Currently, the BSPS programme reaches around 400,000 beneficiaries, with assistance valued at Rp20 million per house.