Jakarta, February 9, 2023 - Problems in the distribution of government social assistance that are not on target, the data collection process is not up-to-date, and is not integrated from the village to the provincial level have still been found over the past few years. In the context of a pandemic, findings from research conducted by Tifa at the end of last year related to Access to Social Protection for Vulnerable Groups in East Java Province and NTB at the end of 2022 confirm a number of these problems. The research findings see problems ranging from aspects of access to information, access to data collection, access to distribution, access to effectiveness to complaint mechanisms in both Provinces. To overcome a number of these problems, a number of recommendations have been addressed, especially to the Social Affairs Office starting from the local level (district and province) to the central government. As an advocacy effort for the problems of governance and the social protection system, the Tifa Foundation held a national level policy dialogue on February 9, 2023 at the Ashley Wahid Hasyim Hotel Menteng, Central Jakarta.
"This national dialog activity is a series of processes that we have carried out at the district and provincial levels. This activity is very relevant to the current conditions which are still in a crisis situation which aims to advocate for vulnerable groups," said Oslan Purba, Ad Interim Executive Director of the Tifa Foundation when opening the activity. This dialogue is present to convey the findings and recommendations of research or village monitoring related to the access of vulnerable groups to social protection in 10 villages that have been carried out in September-December 2022, and facilitate stakeholders at the national level to discuss issues related to social protection faced by residents in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) and East Java.
"In the Village Law as part of the acceleration in the Village SDGs, villages must care about the social protection of vulnerable groups and there are village efforts to prevent risks in the village" said Ms. Lilis Yuliana, SP, M.Si, Sub-Coordination of Population Services and Community Welfare, Ministry of Villages and PDTT. She added that through the data collection of Village SDG's and Inclusive Villages, for the community order, villages must respect, serve for marginalized and vulnerable groups, which is based on article 67 of the Village Law which regulates the rights of village communities. Ms. Lilis Yuliana also said that this activity was a match and collaboration between ministries on social protection for vulnerable groups.
Komnas HAM expressed its appreciation and agreed with what was presented in the research results of the Tifa Foundation. Anis Hidayah, Commissioner of Komnas HAM stated that in handling the pandemic, human rights must be the perspective of programs made by the government both in access to social protection, and the involvement of vulnerable groups as the initiative carried out by Tifa with the Inclusive Village Forum (FDI). Ensuring the right to access information for the community must be fulfilled with the right to sustainable recovery in the form of empowerment. Social protection programs must be able to prevent low-income families from falling further down, "explained Anis Hidayah.
"Mainstreaming gender, preventing and handling vulnerable groups such as women and children victims of violence, helps provide access to the protection of women and children so that FDI is in line with the Ministry of PPPA (DRPPA) program," said Dian, a representative of the Ministry of PPPA. Meanwhile, Komnas Perempuan Commissioner Rainy Marike Hutabarat said that the complaint mechanism must be based on vulnerable groups. It is necessary to maximize health services and complaint services so as not to reduce the costs provided in PKH assistance, or others, because the social assistance that has been provided is intended to fulfill social assistance to meet basic needs.
Tifa recommends that the Ministry of Social Affairs is expected to evaluate data in accordance with the 2021 Permensos regarding data collection and Integrated Social Welfare Data (DTKS), review the existence of district and village level data applications, so that village operators get notifications when someone is rejected as a recipient of social assistance. The Ministry is also expected to be able to maximize information dissemination patterns, both program information, data collection, verification and validation results and disbursement times or delays in disbursement. In addition, it is important to develop technical guidelines (juknis) for Sub-district Social Welfare Workers (TKSK) to improve the general guidelines for the Integrated Service and Referral System (SLRT) by strengthening social welfare centers (Puskesos) and encouraging districts to form Pusksesos or FDI. Making DTKS a data reference for all parties in carrying out social protection programs and preparing guidelines for handling problems or fraud.
The Ombudsman expressed his appreciation for Tifa's initiative with stakeholders in the village through FDI regarding the issue of social assistance distribution to vulnerable groups. "We also have our own initiative regarding the distribution of social assistance and have provided corrective action to the Minister of Social Affairs, including maladministration, and procedural irregularities. Complaints also need to be picked up not only through applications or just reports, but also solving problems related to social assistance," explained Berlinda, Main Assistant VI Ombudsman.
The Ministry of Social Affairs conveyed the steps that have been taken in improving the program (PKH), namely updating data, KPM development and progress in the village, E-PKH is integrated into SIKNG. Local governments that propose to the center, basically the data comes from the regions. The difficulty of updating data, as well as village politics. "Data is integrated with Dukcapil, but there are differences in update times between Dukcapil and the Ministry of Social Affairs. DTKS updates data monthly, dukcapil updates data every six months. Five modules to increase KPM strengthening. Graduation terminology is exiting the program, in 2022-2023 it is directed so that there is no dependence on social assistance because so far 80% of the Ministry of Social Affairs budget allocation is for social assistance," said Jaswadi, Social Assistance Commitment Making Officer, Ministry of Social Affairs RI.
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About Tifa Foundation
The Tifa Foundation is an organization that promotes the realization of an open society through cooperation on strategic issues with various civil society organizations in Indonesia, both at the national and local levels. Since its establishment, Tifa has continued to encourage strengthening the role of civil society in protecting the rights of minority and marginalized groups, expanding the right to expression and expression, advocating for the realization of free media, improving governance and transparency and accountability in the formulation and implementation of public policies, as well as a number of other programs that are in line with efforts to create an open society in Indonesia.
For more information about Tifa Foundation's Social Protection Program (HEAL) contact:
Lorensia Berlian: lorensia@tifafoundation.id
Project Officer for HEAL