Headline:
Thousands of Poverty-Stricken Jakartans to Have Education Stipends Unfrozen; DPRD Vows Oversight
Subhead:
Disdukcapil Jakarta to reissue 105,960 KJP and KJMU cards frozen in phase II 2024; Komisi E DPRD set to monitor funds
Article:
The Jakarta Regional Education Board (Disdik) has announced plans to reinstate 105,960Keyboard Jobber (KJP, a cashless card for school supplies) and Keyboard Jaminan Mutu (KJMU, a cashless card for school fee discounts) cards that were temporarily suspended during the phase II 2024 selection process. Komisi E of DKI Jakarta’s Provincial Legislative Council (DPRD) will oversee the disbursement of funds for these reinstated cards.
Dina Masyusin, a Komisi E DPRD member, reported the development, stating that Disdik has committed to unlocking the funds by January 2025. "We’ll give Disdik until January 2025 to release the funds. If they don’t, we’ll summon them for explanation," she said, as quoted by Antara on December 25, 2024.
Many phase II 2024 hopefuls have been eagerly awaiting the disbursement of their education stipends. However, as the year draws to a close, many pre-sejahtera (low-income) Jakartans are still waiting for their assistance. Dina criticized the unilateral termination of KJP and KJMU beneficiaries based on joint verification by Disdukcapil and the Regional Revenue Board (Bapenda), citing the reason as the beneficiaries already owning a four-wheeled vehicle or assets exceeding Rp1 billion in sales value.
"(They) are barely making ends meet in Jakarta. How could they own a car or assets worth more than Rp1 billion?" Dina questioned. She advised Disdukcapil, Bapenda, and the Social Welfare Department to meticulously verify KJP and KJMU beneficiaries’ documents and living conditions to prevent recurrences that might hinder them from receiving government assistance.
Previously, Komisi E DPRD had agreed with Disdukcapil to reinstate KJP Plus and KJMU recipients who were removed from the list. Many applicants are still deemed eligible for the two social assistance programs. A total of 105,225 KJP Plus and 735 KJMU applicants were removed during the phase II 2024 verification process, with some applicants turning to DPRD Jakarta for support.
Muhammad Thamrin, Chairman of Komisi E DPRD, assured that the status of KJP Plus and KJMU cards that were previously revoked due to data discrepancies and phase II 2024 verification issues would be reinstated by early January 2025. The decision was made collectively to ensure that Jakarta residents have access to quality education. The allowance for KJP Plus recipients is as follows:
- SD/MI: Rp250,000/month, with an additional Rp130,000/month for private school tuition fees
- SMP/MTs: Rp300,000/month, with an additional Rp170,000/month for private school tuition fees
- SMA/MA: Rp420,000/month, with an additional Rp290,000/month for private school tuition fees
- SMK: Rp450,000/month, with an additional Rp240,000/month for private school tuition fees
- PKBM (Community Learning Centers): Rp300,000/month
- KJMU for university students: Rp9 million per semester
(Source: Antara, DPRD DKI Jakarta)
