Jakarta (WNAM MONITORING ): Coordinating Minister for Community Empowerment Abdul Muhaimin Iskandar stated that his ministry continues to strengthen community empowerment efforts following the decline in Indonesia’s poverty rate.
Statistics Indonesia (BPS) earlier reported that the number of poor people in Indonesia as of March 2025 had declined by 0.20 million from September 2024.
In a statement here on Sunday, he underlined that empowerment carried out by the ministry is aimed at accelerating the transformation of poor people into prosperous and independent people.
Iskandar explained that empowerment efforts also focus on 2.38 million people living in extreme poverty.
Based on BPS data, the number of extremely poor people declined by 0.40 million from September 2024 to March 2025.
The minister affirmed that empowerment efforts continue to be carried out by coordinating with ministries and agencies as mandated by Presidential Instruction Number 8 of 2025 on the Optimization of Poverty Alleviation and Extreme Poverty Eradication.
“We continue to strengthen and develop models of poverty alleviation by coordinating with relevant ministries and agencies to achieve the target of 0 percent extreme poverty by 2026,” he remarked.
Based on the presidential instruction, empowerment-based poverty alleviation continues to be carried out, among others, by optimizing people’s funds through cooperation with philanthropic agencies, like the National Alms Agency (Baznas).
Minister Iskandar further said that the latest poverty rate will be a basis for his ministry in preparing poverty alleviation policies that are more integrated, targeted, and sustainable.
According to him, making policies based on data is crucial so that efforts to alleviate poverty, especially reducing poverty pockets and improving people’s economy, can run accurately.
BPS earlier reported that the number of people living in extreme poverty in Indonesia has declined to 2.38 million as of March 2025, while the total number of people categorized as poor in Indonesia stood at 23.85 million.
