JAKARTA (July 5, 2019) - The Ministry of Social Affairs was honored to be present at the 2019 United Nations Public Service Forum (UNPSF) in Baku, Azerbaijan, on 24--26 June 2019 in order to present innovations in providing Social Rehabilitation services.

"The Ministry of Social Affairs is honored to be in the UN Public Service Forum for its contribution in creating innovations in public services to accelerate the realization of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)," said Social Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita in Jakarta on Friday.

The Minister said that the Delegation of Ministry of Social Affairs was present in this international forum because the Ministry of Social Affairs was considered to have achieved inclusive, effective, and innovative social welfare services accelerating the achievement of SDG's goals.

"The services are reflected in at least 3 things. First, innovations that have been acknowledged by UNPSF are the Integrated Social Welfare Database, non-cash social assistance distribution for the Family Hope Program (PKH) and Non-Cash Food Assistance (BPNT) integrated in the Family Welfare Card (KKS), "explained the Minister.

Secondly, the innovation of the 5.0 New Platform Social Rehabilitation Program (Progres 5.0 NP) in which social rehabilitation services are focused on 5 clusters namely children, the elderly, persons with disabilities, victims of drug abuse, and tuna sosial (a person without capabilities of living a decent life in accordance with religious, social, or legal norms and socially isolated from the community).

"In this program, the process of intervention and therapy for beneficiaries is carried out holistically, systematically and in a standardized manner to develop their social functions so that they can return to the community," he said.

The third, he continued, was community empowerment through the Joint Business Group (KUBE). KUBE is one of the government's efforts to break the poverty chain in Indonesia. Through the KUBE program, the communities are taught to be more empowered and economically independent through the provision of venture capital assistance.

The delegation led by the minister consisted of Special Staff to the Minister Prof. M. Jusuf Hamka, Chair of the Indonesian National Council for Social Welfare (DNIKS) Tantyo Adji S, Director General of Social Rehabilitation Edi Suharto, and Head of Social Rehabilitation Center (Balai) for Intellectual Disabilities (BRSPDI) Kartini, Temanggung, Murhardjani.

The meeting was held at the Heydar Alivey Center, attended by a number of ministries and institutions from various countries that were considered successful in innovating public services.

The event which was held by United Nations in collaboration with Azerbaijan Service and Assessment Network (ASAN Service) was attended by more than 500 senior participants from 192 countries around the world. Present at the event included Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan National Council Member Mihrivan Aliveya, UN Deputy Secretary General Liu Zhenmin.

The theme discussed in UNPSF was "Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals through Effective Service Delivery, Innovative Transformation, and Responsible Institutions".

In addition to attending the main meeting, the Minister of Social Affairs also held a bilateral meeting with the Minister of Manpower and Social Protection of the Population of Azerbaijan. Both of them exchanged experiences on tackling poverty. 

"Azerbaijan’s population is around 10 million. The poverty rate is 3 percent and unemployment is 5 percent. The country is rich in oil. Poverty reduction services are relatively manageable. They have many social protection programs such as housing guarantees and providing assistance to persons with disabilities. We learn from each other about this social protection effort, "said the Minister.

Director General of Social Rehabilitation Edi Suharto said at the meeting the Ministry of Social Affairs had the opportunity to explain about the service innovations that have been carried out by the Social Rehabilitation Center for Intellectual Disabilities (BRSPDI) Kartini, Temanggung Regency, Central Java. This center has been successful in providing social rehabilitation services through outreach to persons with intellectual disabilities.

"In the past, people with disabilities had to go to the Balai, now it is our turn to reach them. They are not required to live in the Balai, they could live in their original neighborhood," said the Director General.

For this role, continued Edi, BBRSPDI Kartini won the TOP 40 Public Service Innovation 2018 award given by the Ministry of Administrative Reform and Bureaucratic Reform. This award were granted for Outreaching Services to Serve People with Disabilities in the Community.

 

Head of the Public Relations Bureau of the Indonesian Ministry of Social Affairs

Sonny W. Manalu