1,322 PENA Program Recipients Successfully Free From Extreme Poverty

JAKARTA (2 August 2023) - In the Integrated Social Welfare Data (DTKS) there are 141 million who match the Population Identification Number (NIK) and 21 million of them are recipients of social assistance.  Ministry of Social Affairs helps poor people who have not received social assistance through National Economic Heroes (PENA) program in the form of capital assistance to open a business.

"We don't provide financial assistance.  "For example, if we want to sell rice, we help with rice cooking utensils, gas stoves, the rice, we help everything we can do and for those who want to buy, we deliver it," said Minister of Social Affairs Tri Rismaharini during PENA program beneficiary (PM) graduation ceremony at Aneka Bhakti Building, Ministry of Social Affairs Complex in Jakarta, Wednesday (2/8/2023).

As proof of PENA's success, PMs not only produce various ready-to-eat foods, but also various types of handicrafts, open stalls, workshop services, and so on.  Of the 1,322 PMs from PENA Program, 1,191 are recipients of social assistance and the rest will independently graduate and get out of extreme poverty in 2023.

"There are 1,883 beneficiaries whose income is above the regency/city minimum wage (UMK) and they stated that they are ready to leave 1,322 PM," said Social Affairs Minister Risma.

Minister of Social Affairs Risma further emphasized that in PENA program of Ministry of Social Affairs, training was also provided for packaging to make it attractive, marketing products, including marketing online.

"But what is no less important, apart from being taught packaging and marketing online, is financial management.  It's indeed very important.  "I will give an example of a beneficiary of a meatball business who doesn't know whether his business is making a profit or a loss because he is confused about his finances," said the Minister of Social Affairs.

Main Expert of the Presidential Staff Office (KSP) Abraham Wirotomo appreciated the Ministry of Social Affairs for succeeding in increasing the income of the poor and deemed it to be right on target.

“PENA program that is distributed flows directly to the people who need it.  "So, President Jokowi's target in 2024 is zero extreme poverty," stressed Abraham.