Solidaritas.net, Jakarta – In the event of approaching Ramadhan and Eid Day, the price of daily consumer goods soar drastically. The rising prices obviously affected the poor people. Not only the laborers, poor people deeply feel how their life become heavier. Various kinds of social aid pledged by Indonesian government have distributed unequally to those who need it.
If the laborers and other workers will feel wonderful after receiving Allowance (THR) of Eid Day, how about the poor? They can only hope for donations and helps from the philanthropies, they also need to risk their lives as they jostle and be in a tight spot when queuing for donations. In fact, the lives of poor people itself supposed to be the responsibility of the government.
It is genuine that in the meantime the activists from various circles, that join in Indonesian Resistance Center (PPRI) later issued a statement, that the THR for poor people should be a responsibility of the country. During a certain period of time, the government has been providing a large amount of THR to the country officials that are already rich.
“As a taxpayer, the poor supposed to receive THR from the government. The government have to manage all consumer needs for Eid Day such as food, clothing, pastry, the expenses of returning home or visiting relatives and recreational expenses from the state funds. All of unnecessary spending, such as THR for the ministers, presidential staff, governors, regents, mayors, regional officials, the head of government agencies, BUMN officers, sub-district head and village chief have to be diverted for the sakes of the poor,” said PPRI on their statement that received by Solidaritas.net, Tuesday (30/6/2015).
Beside that, civil servants and private company employees have been felt the joy of getting THR for Idul Fitri purposes. According to the activists of PPRI that derived from various organizations, such as Indonesian Migrant Workers Union (SBMI), Indonesians’ Struggle Union (SPRI), Solidarity Alliance for Labor Struggle (GSPB), Progressive Migrant Alliance-HK (AMP-HK), Indonesian Cultural Society Union (SEBUMI), Students’ Struggles Center for National Liberation (PEMBEBASAN), Political Alternative Committee (KPA), Solidaritas.net and PPRI, valued all that happened is totally unfair for the poor.
“It is unfair if THR only provided to civil servants and private company employees. It is time for the government to guarantee THR for the poor. Thus, there will not be any poor people who commit criminal acts or lost their lives because of jostling for tithe (zakat) or donations on the eve of Eid,” added PPRI in their statement.
Therefore, PPRI held a protest in front of the office of Ministry of Social Affairs and Indonesian Parliament, Tuesday (30/6/2015), to insist the government to allocate the state funds for the poor’s THR. In this protest, there were four demands that delivered to the Government of Indonesia, as follows:
- The government have to provide THR for poor people immediately.
- Allocate national and regional funds for the THR of poor people.
- The government and Parliament have to immediately legalize the law stated THR for poor people become the responsibility of the country.
- Stop THR for the government officials (presidential staff, ministries, government agencies, governors, regents, sub-district and village chiefs) and shifted it to the poor.
Source: Solidaritas.net Bahasa Indonesia
