Jakarta – The first meeting of the “Merah Putih” Cabinet was held by President of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Wednesday (23/10). During the meeting, Prabowo discussed the establishment of the Poverty Alleviation Acceleration Agency.
Prabowo explained that the agency was created to tackle existing challenges promptly.
“I do not intend to interfere with the work of the ministries, but to assist. Where there are obstacles and difficulties, we must address them without delay. Let’s admit it, our bureaucracy is known for being complex and slow,” Prabowo said.
He also mentioned that the Poverty Alleviation Acceleration Agency will be responsible for analyzing and monitoring all social protection programs and aid distribution to ensure they reach the most vulnerable segments of society effectively.
“This agency will assess and supervise all social protection programs and aid to ensure they are targeted towards the groups in society that require assistance,” Prabowo added.
Budiman Sudjatmiko has been appointed as the head of the Poverty Alleviation Acceleration Agency by Prabowo.
In a previous interview at the Merdeka Palace, Budiman stated that Prabowo had tasked him with reducing poverty in Indonesia as much as possible by 2024-2029.
“All poverty-related issues must be significantly reduced in the next five years, and that is the agency’s responsibility,” Budiman said on Tuesday (22/10).
Budiman explained that the agency will coordinate poverty alleviation efforts involving various ministries such as the Ministry of Villages, the Ministry of Manpower, the Ministry of Industry, the Ministry of Communication and Information, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Health.
Through this coordination, Budiman believes they will gather reliable, objective, and dynamic data to guide their efforts. (RR)
