Indonesia’s rice cooker distribution policy is deemed inappropriate for achieving social welfare in the current context. The ongoing social shocks and vulnerabilities are due to prolonged drought and food shortages, not a lack of cooking equipment.
Dr. Krisdyatmiko, a Social Development and Welfare lecturer at the UGM Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, argued that the policy should be temporary rather than ongoing social assistance and focus on understanding the impact of prolonged drought on the community and the vulnerabilities they face.
If we delve deeper into the government’s rationale for the policy, it’s positioned as social assistance. However, it is more appropriate as an energy substitution effort since the state electricity company (PLN) currently has an excess supply.
The rice cooker policy targets low-income households, expecting them to replace the use of 3 kg LPG canisters with electricity. If the government is aiming for a cleaner energy option, the source of electricity must be considered when discussing electricity.
“If gas derived from crude oil is considered less clean compared to electricity, it should be noted that according to the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources data last year, 67% of electricity comes from coal, and 16% comes from gas,” said Dr. Krisdyatmiko.
“This means that electricity and gas in Indonesia are derived from non-renewable energy sources. So, suppose the aim is to substitute energy from gas with electricity. In that case, it’s essentially the same as long as the source of electricity depends on coal.”
Referring to the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Regulation No. 11 of 2023 regarding electric cooking appliances, the provisions stipulated therein are aimed at families with electricity consumption between 450-900 watts.
However, as seen in the Integrated Social Welfare Data, issues with identifying potential recipients are still present.
This can create problems, such as the recent incident in which civil servants were found to have received direct cash assistance in addition to their regular salaries.
These issues highlight the need to improve data accuracy to avoid such problematic situations and resulting social jealousy in the future.
Dr. Krisdyatmiko revealed that households in some rural areas still use firewood and twigs for cooking. This is common in villages near forests, where dry branches and twigs are used as fuel.
If households like these are asked to use rice cookers, it would be a waste of energy. This is because they initially use non-destructive natural resources, utilizing dry branches and twigs, and switching to electric rice cookers would increase their daily electricity expenses.
The justification for the policy uses families using gas on a daily basis, saying that it would be more economical to switch to electricity from gas. However, some households don’t use gas, and this shift would increase their expenses.
He explained that policies should be viewed within different timeframes: short-term, medium-term, and long-term.
Social assistance policies primarily address short-term welfare protection. However, they should focus on social guarantees such as insurance and poverty alleviation through empowerment for long-term objectives.
“Currently, what needs to be assessed is the impact of prolonged drought on the population and their vulnerabilities. In my prediction, the pressing issues are related to water and food, not the distribution of rice cookers,” said Dr. Krisdyatmiko.
“Therefore, the focus should not be on the cooking appliance but what the people cook.”
Furthermore, he added that many families in Indonesia already have access to rice cookers, which may result in wastage. There is also a concern about individuals who might receive these aids and then attempt to sell them, even though the policy does not allow this.
“In the current context, people need food supplies. Therefore, rice cookers could be sold to allocate funds for purchasing food for the family. Hence, assessing which communities are most affected by the drought is crucial,” the lecturer said.
“The government’s short-term support should focus on food security rather than providing cooking appliances. In the medium and long term, the approach should aim to make these communities less vulnerable, self-reliant, and capable of harnessing local resources for their livelihoods.”
Author: Rifai
Photo: void.id