Government’s Cash Transfer Assistance (BLT) of IDR600,000 in the time of Covid-19 pandemic is not enough to cover Indonesian average per capita monthly expenditure. In some provinces, even the money is not enough to cover food consumption expenses per individual per month.
Several policies have been issued by the Government of Republic of Indonesia as a stimulus to support the economy and ease people’s suffering during the Covid-19 pandemic. Prior to BLT, the government, through the Social Ministry, distributed staple food packages to the 1.2 million poor in DKI Jakarta Province. The IDR300,000-worth package will be distributed twice in a month.
Meanwhile, for those who live outside Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi (Jabodetabek), the government, through the Ministry of Village, Development of Disadvantaged Regions, and Transmigration, is distributing BLT of IDR600,000 to selected households per month for three consecutive months. They will take the budget from Village Fund, a fund previously allocated for village infrastructure development.
IDR 600,000 BLT versus Indonesian average per capita monthly expenditure
Based on Statistics Indonesia (BPS), the Indonesian average per capita monthly expenditure is IDR1,3 million. The amount consists of IDR620,962 for food consumption expenses and IDR729,562 for non-food consumption expenses.
Lifepal sees that an IDR600,000 per household per month given by the government is not enough to cover all monthly expenses. Even the amount given is not enough to cover food consumption expenses per individual per month. For families with more than one member, the number won’t be enough.
We use 2018’s Indonesia average per capita per month expenditure data, because the newest data hasn’t yet been published. So, it is believed the gap will go even wider if we have the newest one applied for the comparison.
Monthly expenditures in these provinces are far above the BLT amount
In these 20 provinces, the IDR600,000 BLT is not enough to cover monthly food consumption per individual, where DKI Jakarta sits in the top position.
In DKI Jakarta, the food consumption per individual per month amounts to IDR847,847. In Kepulauan Riau Province, it costs each person IDR774,057, while in Bangka Belitung it is IDR757,000. So, it can be concluded that, based on the monthly expenditure per capita from 2018’s Statistics Indonesia (BPS) data, an IDR600,000 BLT will not cover individual monthly expenditure in those provinces.
For Central Java and Nusa Tenggara Timur Province residents, IDR600,000 BLT is enough to cover food consumption expenses
Statistics Indonesia (BPS) data shows that there are provinces with food consumption expenses below the IDR600,000 BLT.
For Central Java, Gorontalo, West Sulawesi, South East Sulawesi, and Nusa Tenggara Timur, IDR600,000 is enough to cover a resident’s monthly food consumption expenses. That’s because the individual’s monthly food consumption expenses in Central Java is only IDR491,151, in Gorontalo, it is just IDR501,437, and in West Sulawesi, it is merely IDR505,350. While in South East Sulawesi and Nusa Tenggara Timur, it is just IDR534,142 and IDR542,216 respectively.
Survival in the time of pandemic
Everyone agrees that this fund is aimed to ease the burden, not to entirely cover all the peoples’ living expenses. People are required to be wiser in their money management so that they can still afford their basic needs in the time of this pandemic.
They can do this by controlling their expenses and avoiding using money for secondary needs. For crucial expenses, they can use savings and/or pawn valuable assets if needed. Of course, we’re hoping the best for those who suffer job cuts, to find the way out to meet their basic needs.
Read the Bahasa Indonesia version here.
