Since 2017 the Papuan Government of Papua (PGP) (with technical support from MAHKOTA and KOMPAK) has been implementing child grant for all indigenous Papuan children under the age of four. The scheme is known as BANGGA Papua and serves as an example for how local governments can fill the gap in ‘last mile’ social protection delivery, particularly for remote contexts and populations. Social protection innovations are more critical now than ever to reduce the impacts of Covid-19 on highly vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly and persons with disabilities.
BANGGA Papua serves as an example for how local governments can fill the gap in ‘last mile’ social protection delivery, particularly for remote and vulnerable populations. Such local innovations are especially critical now in the Covid-19 context to ensure that highly vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly and persons with disabilities are receiving access to the cash they need to invest in themselves, their families, their livelihoods and the local economy.
MAHKOTA’s recent publication (link below) contextualises BANGGA Papua in the broader Indonesian social protection landscape, discusses the implementation experiences of BANGGA Papua to date, and conveys how BANGGA Papua can potentially be leveraged to reduce the severity of economic impacts in Papua province during this pandemic.