As Social Affairs Minister, Tri Rismaharani has vowed to accelerate aid disbursement, cleaning the ministry of corrupt practices and ensuring that the poor re-ceive the aid.
By
IQBAL Basyari / PRADIPTA PANDU MUSTIKA
·4 minutes read
SEKRETARIAT PRESIDEN
Social Affairs Minister Tri Rismaharini
Former Surabaya mayor Tri Rismaharani has started her new role as Social Affairs Minister, replacing Juliari Batubara, who was detained by the Corruption Eradication Committee (KPK) in a case pertaining to the embezzlement of COVID-19 relief funds. As Social Affairs Minister, Risma has vowed to accelerate aid disbursement, cleaning the ministry of corrupt practices and ensuring that the poor re-ceive the aid.
Risma explained her new roles and tasks in an interview with Kompas on Wednesday at Jakarta.
Q: What is President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s main order for you?
A: First, I was ordered to accelerate the disbursement of the social assistance (Bansos) fund in Janu-ary next year. The Bansos fund is important for our economy.
Second, I was ordered to clean the Social Affairs Ministry from corrupt individuals, as well as im-prove its organizational work system to achieve better effectiveness and prevent corruption – who-ever the minister will be.
People who need social assistance have a right to it and we are not allowed to take it from them.
I have warned all civil servants within the ministry to not embezzle the Bansos fund. If someone tries to do that, it will be me who will find out and report such practices, not other departments or agen-cies. People who need social assistance have a right to it and we are not allowed to take it from them.
As an initial step, I have asked the Attorney General’s Office and the Development Finance Comptroller (BPKP) to monitor and audit the ministry. I will also invite the KPK.
Q: What are the issues that should be fixed in your ministry?
A: There are a lot, which include recipients data because the Social Affairs Ministry must disburse the relief timely and effectively.
Q: Many said the ministry’s aid recipients data was inaccurate. How to improve it?
A: The ministry’s aid recipients data had not been updated since 2015. Hence, I will send back the data to regional administrations for a recheck, so the people who need the aid – but did not received it – could receive the Bansos fund that will be disbursed starting January 4. The problem is more than disbursing the relief for people who do not need it.
BPMI SEKRETARIAT PRESIDEN
Tri Rismaharini received congratulations from President Joko Widodo after being inaugurated as Minister of Social Affairs at the State Palace, Jakarta, Wednesday (23/12/2020).
Q: Why did people who needed relief not receive it?
A: One of the issues is their registered address. For example, there are many people who migrate to Jakarta but do not change their address, even though they’ve already sold their house in their hometowm; more ironically, they literally sleep under a bridge in Jakarta. There are also people who have not registered to receive an electronic ID card.
Hence, the aid should not be distributed based on their address. Using their unique citizen identity number (NIK) should be sufficient. If the recipients are homeless, should we treat them not as Indo-nesian citizen and bar them from receiving aid? There should be another solution for this kind of cases.
If one day they are able to afford a house or an apartment, they can just change their address in their ID.
NIK should be sufficient, and the distribution should be done based on their most recent domicile. If they are homeless, we can use their domicile at nursing home, for instance. If one day they are able to afford a house or an apartment, they can just change their address in their ID. This is important and can be seen as the implementation of Article 34 of the 1945 Constitution regarding social protection.
Q: How long it will take to fix that problem?
A: It should be fast, but I will take it slowly because we should fix it from the root. The mentality of the ministry’s employee should be changed. They should learn more about their role in serving society. Some will be able to change, but I am afraid it will take some time. The problem is the relief fund should be disbursed quickly because the poor cannot wait.
A: Politics is about serving the people. I always think that I am a servant of the people. I do not care what others think about me or my activities because I do a public service.
