Protests mark cash aid payments

Yogyakarta, NU Online
The beginning of the direct cash assistance program was marked by protests Saturday (24/5), but the payments continued without a hitch.

Dozens of people gathered outside the Prawirodirjan subdistrict office in Yogyakarta, complaining about having been excluded from the list of recipients. They said they had received handouts during the initial program in 2005.<>

The protesters accused the government of discriminating against them in denying them funds from the money.

Under the program, eligible recipients will receive Rp 100,000 (about US$10.75) per month until the end of the year to cover increased costs from the fuel price rise.

The government is using 2005 data to identify eligible recipients. Those entitled to assistance received cards that they have to produce to be given the cash.

"We received cards in 2005, but why haven't we now? There are some new recipients, but how come I'm not on the list?" one protester, Sumaryanti, said.

The protesters demanded the government amend the list and issue cash aid cards to them.

According to the Central Statistics Agency, 19,111 households in Yogyakarta city live below the poverty line. Municipality data put the figure at 26,684.

The government has allocated Rp 14.1 trillion ($1.55 billion) this year to provide assistance to 19.1 million low-income households nationwide. The payments began after the government announced the fuel price hike on Friday. State postal company PT Pos has been appointed to distribute the cash aid.

Many have opposed to the program, including a number of regents and mayors, on the grounds it could lead to conflict between recipients and nonrecipients. The program caused chaos in some parts of the country in 2005.

Herkules, marketing manager for the Yogyakarta and Central Java branch of PT Pos, said the office had handed out cash assistance to 8,000 households on Saturday.

In Medan, elderly people lined up to receive their cash. Some walked alone, others were accompanied by younger family members.

Sumarjo, 76, had to be assisted by his two children on his way to receive his handout. Although the government has promised to deliver the cash aid for the elderly to their homes, the old man insisted on getting the cash himself.

"I got the cash here because I need money quickly to cover my medical expenses. I'm afraid the money will never reach me if I just wait for it at home," he was quoted by The Jakarta Post as saying.

Deputy operation manager of the North Sumatra branch of PT Pos, Donny Syafardan, said aid was distributed at 25 posts. The company has registered 81,605 cardholders across the North Sumatra capital.

In Makassar, of the 70,160 households who are entitled to the aid, only a few turned up at local post offices to take the cash.

The Makassar branch of PT Pos had prepared 12 posts and 128 officers to help distribute the cash. The low turnout has been attributed to lack of public awareness about the distribution schedules.

"I only learned the aid was being handed out today after reading the newspaper this morning. That's why I didn't come here until the afternoon," said Daeng Te'ne, who received his cash at Makassar's Pettarani post office. (dar)