Covid-19 aid in Indonesia stalled, used for political stunts

Workers from Jakarta-owned food security company PT Food Station Tjipinang Jaya are seen packing staple food into red-and-white cloth bags with a printed message that reads: “Aid from the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Together We Fight Covid-19” at the firm's warehouse in East Jakarta on April 22, 2020. - Antara

JAKARTA (The Jakarta Post/ANN): While millions of people out of work are depending on the arrival of social assistance to weather the Covid-19 crisis, bureaucrats have dragged their feet in the distribution process and have even taken the opportunity to boost their popularity among voters.

The distribution of food packages and cash assistance is lagging outside of Jakarta as many regencies and cities continue to gather data about their poor populations, a problem that economists warned about.