Jakarta, CNN Indonesia - 

The government changed the amount and duration of direct cash assistance ( BLT )  for village funds this year. This is stated in the Minister of Finance Regulation (PMK) number 222 / PMK.07 / 2020 concerning Management and Village.

The regulation replaces PMK number 156/2020 which is the third amendment to PMK 205/2020 concerning Village Fund Management.

The regulation, which was signed by the Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani Indrawati on December 28, 2020, one of which regulates the amount of BLT in village funds.

In the previous PMK, village funds were given for nine months with a total amount of Rp. 600 thousand for the first to third months and Rp. 300 thousand for the fourth to ninth months.

Now , in Article 39 of the new PMK, the amount of BLT in village funds is given within 12 months with a value of IDR 300 thousand per month.

In paragraph (2) Article 39 also states that the Village Fund BLT recipients meet the criteria for a poor or underprivileged family who is domiciled in the village concerned; does not include recipients of assistance for the Family Hope Program (PKH), Basic Food Cards, Pre-Work Cards, Cash Social Assistance (BST), and other government social assistance programs.

Then, if in the distribution of BLT village funds the required budget exceeds the allocated allocation, the shortfall in the budget is taken from village funds outside of the allocation of funds for BLT.

On the other hand, if the village fund BLT budget is excess, then the rest will be used for other economic recovery activities in the village.

If there are no BLT beneficiary families, the village head determines a village head regulation regarding no BLT beneficiary families.

Finally, other provisions regarding criteria, data collection mechanisms, determination of data on village fund BLT beneficiary families and implementation of village fund BLT provision are carried out in accordance with the Regulation of the Minister of Villages, Development of Disadvantaged Areas and Transmigration regarding priorities for the use of Village Funds.

Apart from the matter of BLT village funds, just like the previous PMK, the Minister of Finance can stop the distribution of village funds for the current Fiscal Year and / or the following Fiscal Year if there are village problems such as the village head misusing village funds and being named a suspect.

This can also be done if the village experiences administrative problems and / or unclear legal status.

However, the Ministry of Finance can redistribute village funds whose expenditure has been stopped after receiving the revocation of the suspect's legal status, restoration of the suspect's legal status and / or a court decision that has permanent legal force.