Listen, These Are Two Strategies From Social Minister Risma To Accelerate Poverty Handling

Minister of Social Affairs Tri Rismaharini in a Working Meeting with Committee III DPD RI in Jakarta, Tuesday 21 September (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - Social Minister Tri Rismaharini explained the Ministry of Social's strategy to accelerate poverty alleviation, based on two main pillars, namely increasing income and reducing expenditure.

Risma stated that the increase in income is done by turning on the "second engine" of the economy, and the perpetrators can be mothers or fathers in the household.

“To turn on the 'second engine' can be done by providing job opportunities or increasing entrepreneurial skills. Thus, in a family, husband and wife both have productive activities," Risma said in her statement at a Working Meeting with Committee III DPD RI in Jakarta, reported by Antara, Tuesday, September 21.

In her presentation, Risma said that the government was focused on programs to reduce the expenditure of poor and vulnerable families, such as daily expenses related to the needs of clothing, food, and housing.

"Here the government reduces the economic burden through the implementation of proportional subsidy policies and with social assistance that includes basic needs (sembako) and health and education," said Risma.

To increase income, the Ministry of Social Affairs connects beneficiaries, namely scavengers, homeless people, and beggars with the world of work, through increasing social entrepreneurship.

To reduce school fees and health care for pregnant women and children under five, the Ministry of Social Affairs intervened for poor families with the Family Hope Program (PKH).

"In PKH there is a component of school children, health checks for pregnant women and toddlers," said Risma.

In addition to PKH, the Cash Social Assistance Program (BST) is also to increase the purchasing power of beneficiaries. The two social assistance programs provide financial assistance to Beneficiary Families (KPM). Meanwhile, the Basic Food Card/Non-Cash Food Aid Program (BPNT) was distributed to fulfill basic needs.

The two strategies were formulated with the background of thinking that policies to accelerate poverty alleviation cannot run without an endpoint. Risma stated that to achieve the target, the Ministry of Social Affairs needed to prepare program leverage (leverage).

"If he is healthy and physically capable, then he can be given access to the world of work or by improving his vocational abilities," she said.

Risma stated that she had established Attention Creation Centers (SKA) which had already been established in eight halls belonging to the Ministry of Social Affairs. SKA is a place for Social Welfare Service Needs (PPKS) who have received training. They are given the opportunity to market their creations to establish and manage businesses such as cafes, laundry, make-up, salons, stalls, culinary businesses, and sewing galleries.

In terms of data improvement, Risma conveyed a breakthrough in increasing data accuracy, one of which was by adding the "proposal" and "rebuttal" features to the Bansos Check Application.

The activation of these two features is a solution to data problems so far, namely, there are people who have the right to get help but cannot (exclusion error), and there are people who are not entitled to receive assistance (inclusion error).

"This is also an effort to continue to encourage the accuracy of the distribution of social assistance," she said.

This step is to provide transparency, especially to people who feel they have the right to get assistance but do not get it by accessing the “propose” feature or providing information if they know someone is not worthy but gets social assistance by accessing the “reject” feature.

Mirati Dewaningsih from Maluku said that there were a total of 99,000 KPM whose aid had not yet been disbursed. Mirati's statement was immediately greeted by Risma with the ability to immediately plan to be present in Maluku. "I'll be right there. Because the numbers are huge,” said Risma.

Risma's quick response made Mirati immediately give a thumbs up. "Oh mother, please come directly to Maluku. Hopefully, I will have the opportunity to accompany my mother,” said Mirati.