Social Minister assures that problematic PKH companions will be dismissed

Majalengka (ANTARA) - Social Minister (Mensos) Saifullah Yusuf has assured that his office will not hesitate to dismiss companions of the Family Hope Programme (PKH) proven to have committed violations, following a case of alleged social assistance (bansos) fund misappropriation in Cirebon, West Java.

He stated that such firm action is part of ongoing evaluations of PKH companions’ performance across all regions.

“Learning from last year, we issued SP1 and SP2 warnings to nearly 500 PKH companions, and 49 of them were dismissed,” the Social Minister said while providing a statement in Majalengka, West Java, on Friday.

This year, he continued, four PKH companions have already been dismissed after he signed the relevant decisions.

He reminded that the primary duty of companions is to assist beneficiary families in advancing economically, not to take actions that harm them.

“Do not deceive beneficiary families, but instead accompany them to become families that rise in class,” he said.

The Social Minister assessed that if PKH companions commit violations, it will have serious implications as it concerns public trust.

He also conveyed that many members of the public are interested in becoming PKH companions, so the position must be carried out with full responsibility.

In addition, he encouraged the role of the public and mass media to report any irregularities found in the implementation of social assistance programmes.

“If any journalists see irregularities committed by the companions, please report them to us,” he said.

Previously, Head of Satreskrim at Cirebon City Police Resort, AKP Adam Gana, stated that his team had apprehended a fugitive in the alleged criminal act of corruption involving PKH social assistance, with initials EK, after he had fled to the Lampung region.

He explained that the suspect was secured on Saturday (18/4) around 02:30 WIB while sleeping in a resident’s house in Pasar Madang Village, Tanggamus Regency, Lampung.

Based on police information, the suspect is alleged to have reduced the aid amount in the withdrawal invitation letters, so around 900 beneficiaries received smaller funds, with a total state loss of Rp264,555,000.