BMK beneficiaries must utilize assistance as business capital: Jokowi

Pontianak (ANTARA) – President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has urged the recipients of working capital assistance (BMK) to utilize the funds as business capital to develop their businesses and meet their needs.
“Don’t use this assistance money to buy cellphones. If you can, use it for additional working capital, business capital. If not, then use it for needs that are productive in nature; don’t use it to buy phone credit,” Jokowi said while distributing working capital and direct cash assistance for cooking oil beneficiaries under the Family Hope Program at Sungai Duri Market, Bengkayang District, West Kalimantan Province, on Tuesday. He was accompanied by First Lady Iriana. The President advised recipients to make use of the assistance of Rp1.2 million as additional working capital or business capital.
The working capital assistance could also be used to meet needs that are productive in nature, while cash assistance could be used to purchase basic necessities, he added. “Ma’ams, the Rp300 thousand is for the purchase of basic necessities and cooking oil, yes. It is social assistance,” he stressed. The President also said that the government will recalculate the state budget to determine the amount of assistance for beneficiaries.
“In the future, if we have more money in the state budget, we will, God willing, add the amount,” he remarked. The President also allocated assistance to street vendors and market traders while touring the market and greeting traders. During the activity, the President and First Lady Iriana were accompanied by Public Works and Public Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono, State-Owned Enterprises Minister Erick Thohir, Social Affairs Minister Tri Rismaharini, Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung, West Kalimantan Governor Sutarmidji, West Kalimantan Deputy Governor Ria Norsan, and Bengkayang District Head Sebastianus Darwis.