Thousands UMKM, laid off workers in Banjarmasin receive food and cash

Banjarmasin, S Kalimantan (ANTARA) - Thousands of small businesses and workers who have been laid off, terminated or lost their jobs as a direct effect of the COVID-19 epidemic in Banjarmasin received a food package assistance and cash of Rp250,000 each. 

Mayor H Ibnu Sina accompanied by Acting Head of Cooperative, Small and Medium Business, and Manpower Agency Ir H Doyo Pudjadi handed over the assistance at the City Hall, Wednesday.

"Today (assistance) have been realized for as many as 1.960 of our friends who had been laid off or terminated in the form of food packages and cash," said Doyo at the sideline of the distribution of aid.

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Initially, the number of beneficiaries was more than the amount distributed that day, but after being verified by the Social Office, the number was reduced, because some of them had already received social assistance on other occasions, either from the central or local government.

"The proposed origin was around three thousand more, but after being verified by the Social Office some are outside Banjarmasin and some other had received other social assistance," he pointed out.

Meanwhile, Mayor H Ibnu Sina thanked all parties for helping hand in hand in handling COVID-19, especially in terms of social safety net. "Thank you all parties, hopefully this will become one of the characteristics of our solidarity, mutual cooperation, and mutual assistance to help in this difficult situation," he said. 
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