Jakarta (VNA) – The Indonesian Government will reform the social welfare system with the aim of erasing extreme poverty in 2024, said Minister for National Development Planning Suharso Monoarfa.

The Southeast Asian country’s current extreme poverty rate ranges between 2.3 percent and 3 percent. However, President Joko Widodo has ordered to suppress it to zero percent by 2024, said Suharso

To achieve this target, he explained that the government will focus on social assistance programmes targeting groups of people who are categorised as vulnerable and poor.

Besides, the government is determined to reform the social protection system, the minister said.

Indonesia will update data on social protection to define people subjected to benefits without paying premium.

The country will rearrange and integrate various social assistance programmes under some ministries and institutions and place the programmes under a strategic programme of social assistance, he added.

Indonesia’s social protection scheme as part of the National Economic Recovery (PEN) Programme has been implemented effectively, helping 3.43 million people get rid of poverty. As of November 18, 2020, Indonesia had disbursed 82.4 percent of its budget for the scheme./.
VNA