In 2021, the Ministry of Social Affairs Targets to Empower 2,500 KAT Residents

JAKARTA (15 May 2021) - The Ministry of Social Affairs continues to increase its empowerment efforts for Remote Indigenous Communities (KAT). The number of KAT reached 156,512 households, in the last 5 years 11,039 households have been empowered.

The Ministry of Social Affairs through the Directorate General of Social Empowerment targets as many as 2,500 KAT residents to be the target of the empowerment program in 2021. In implementing the KAT citizen empowerment program, Social Minister Tri Rismaharini emphasized the importance of fulfilling the basic rights of KAT citizens.

"KAT residents must be guaranteed to have the same rights and access to development programs as their fellow countrymen," said the Minister of Social Affairs recently. Following up on this directive, the Directorate General of Social Empowerment ensures that it will continue to encourage social empowerment programs to increase the economic and social independence of the beneficiaries.

"We are also designing social empowerment programs that can be integrated with other programs at the Ministry of Social Affairs, namely social protection programs, social rehabilitation programs, to programs for poverty handling," said Director General of Social Empowerment Edi Suharto, in Jakarta (15/05).

For this reason, on several previous occasions, both in the capacity to accompany the Minister of Social Affairs on March 11, 2021, Edi conducted work visits to KAT locations, one of which was in the Suku Anak Dalam (SAD) in Sarolangun Regency and Batang Hari Regency, Jambi Province.

"We carry out population data recording, in collaboration with the Ministry of Home Affairs' Directorate General of Civil Registry. We will continue this pattern in other locations, so that KAT residents have the same rights and access to other development programs, "he said.

The results of the evaluation and recommendations of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), as well as support for transparency, accountability and so that assistance is more targeted, each recipient of social assistance must enter the Integrated Social Welfare Data (DTKS) and match a Population Identification Number (NIK).

"Every resident of KAT SAD in Jambi Province has gradually been, is currently, and continues to record data to get NIK so that it can be accessed with various social assistance from the Ministry of Social Affairs and other ministries," Edi added.