WNAM MONITORING: Coordinating Minister for Community Empowerment Muhaimin Iskandar highlighted the government’s strategic steps in pushing empowerment agendas to increase community independence.
Issues that should be addressed through the empowerment agenda include increasing the capacity of small, medium and cooperative businesses by providing training and raw materials, as well as creating a holding between MSMEs and supporting cooperation between MSMEs and large businesses.
After a meeting with President Prabowo Subianto at the Bogor Presidential Palace on Friday (Jan 3), Iskandar revealed the government’s plan to improve the capacity and capabilities of Indonesian migrant workers by preparing 100 new job training centers for workers.
The centers will help migrant workers prepare to apply for jobs by equipping them with standard-quality skills or vocational education and providing pre-departure assistance.
According to Iskandar, the government will also expand access to funding for MSMEs, cooperatives, creative economy and migrant workers through low-interest loans.
This funding model will be initiated in collaboration with related ministries and institutions. It includes a low-cost credit program distributed through a revolving loan fund.
“This will be initiated to create a savings and loan model, borrowing with very low interest. We will follow up on this with related ministries, especially the Ministry of Finance, through the government money lent to migrant workers, also to MSMEs,” he remarked.
Another program that is the focus of the empowerment agenda is optimizing social assistance through the Ministry of Social Affairs.
Iskandar explained that the government will improve the data on aid beneficiaries by accepting suggestions and objections from the public to ensure that social assistance is right on target.
“The point is that there is not a single poor person in Indonesia who does not receive assistance. That is what we will do the most in the shortest time,” he added.
