MAKASSAR (October 18th, 2019) - The Director General of Poverty Handling (Dirjen PFM), Andi ZA Dulung gave directions while opening the 2020 Program and Budget Synchronization activities. In this activity, the Director General of Poverty Handling expressed his pride in the current poverty reduction and rising budget Ministry of Social Affairs in 2020. 

"This is make us proud because it means that the Ministry of Social Affairs is trusted by the government, especially by the cabinet, that we are capable of carrying out this work," said the Director General of PFM at a hotel in Makassar.

The Director General of Poverty Handling said that the increase in the budget was due to an increase in the Non-Cash Food Aid Index (BPNT), which was originally Rp110,000 to Rp150,000 per month per Beneficiary Family (KPM). "Our budget continues to rise every year and next year there will be another 4 trillion increases due to the BPNT index from Rp110,000 to Rp150,000 per month," said the Director General of Poverty Handling

The Director General of PFM said that the Ministry of Social Affairs had arranged the program and budget in a way that took into account the span of control. It is intended that the provincial social services agency can be more detailed in using budgetary sources originating from the central government in carrying out activities in their respective provinces.

"I think this needs good planning so there is no need to differentiate between the central and regional budget, but it must help one another substitute one another. So from the beginning, we should have planned exactly how much for the headquarters and how much for the regions," explained the Director General of poverty handling.

On the same occasion the Director General of PFM also appealed to all participants that with the increase of the budget it was hoped that all parties involved in the program to deal with the poor could work more actively and compactly for the program running smoothly.

"Hopefully this cohesiveness will bring even better improvements for the welfare of the community, for the smooth running of our programs," concluded the Director General of PFM.

Previously, Secretary of the Directorate General of poverty handling (Sesfitjen PFM) Nurul Farijati submitted a report on the 2020 Program and Budget Synchronization activities. In the report, the Secretary of the poverty handling said that the purpose of this activity was to build a common perception and understanding of the policy of handling the poor who had been set, get complete information from each province related to the poverty portrait in their respective regions, realizing the implementation of the handling activities the poor at the national and regional levels in a planned, integrated and sustainable manner, and set activities targets for 2020.