The reduction in the poverty rate shows the benefits of the Social assistance program
ILLUSTRATION. MENKO PMK PUAN MAHARANI
Reporter: Yudho Winarto | Editor: Yudho Winarto
KONTAN.CO.ID – JAKARTA. Based on data released by the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), the poverty rate of the Indonesian population as of March 2018 was 9.82%, the lowest since the era of the monetary crisis (krismon) in 1998. In 1998, Indonesia’s poverty rate reached 24.2%.
Confirming this BPS data, Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture (Menko PMK) Puan Maharani emphasized that the government will continue to strengthen the economy of underprivileged families through various social assistance programs.
“The reduction in the poverty rate shows that the social assistance program provides benefits for the community in strengthening the economy of poor families,” said Coordinating Minister for PMK Puan Maharani in his statement, Tuesday (17/7).
Previously, the Coordinating Minister for PMK had coordinated the transformation of Rastra’s subsidies into Non-Cash Food Assistance (BPNT) for 1.2 million KPM, starting in 2017. Gradual expansion was also carried out in 2018, up to 10 million KPM.
Expansion of the target recipients of the PKH program which increased from 2.7 million KPM (in 2014) to 6 million KPM (in 2017), and expanded to 10 million KPM in 2018. The Healthy Indonesia Program (KIS) has also provided national health insurance to 92.4 million poor people. The government pays BPJS Health contributions for the poor.
In the field of education, the Smart Indonesia Program (KIP) also reaches 19.7 million school-age children, namely children who cannot afford at school, outside school, in orphanages, pesantren, and so on.
“Expanding the target of the social assistance program is one of the government’s focuses,” added the Coordinating Minister for PMK.
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