JAKARTA (26 October 2023) - Ministry of Social Affairs is making strategic efforts so that recipients of regular social assistance benefits from Family Hope Program (PKH) and Basic Food Program move up to become independent families. One effort to encourage independence is by including them in Nusantara Economic Hero Program (PENA).
In PENA Program, beneficiaries are
taught ways of entrepreneurship so that they can try and earn their income that
is better than the social assistance they have received so far. This has been proven for six to twelve
months, and the beneficiaries have shown signs of independence in
entrepreneurship. For this reason, those
who have become independent/promoted, then declare that they have graduated or
no longer receive social assistance.
Minister of Social Affairs Tri
Rismaharini, on Wednesday (25/10), said that Ministry of Social Affairs
graduated or released a total of 4,051 beneficiaries from social
assistance. A total of 4,051 graduated
beneficiaries are part of 5,028 PENA recipients in 2022. "Today, we have
graduated around 4,051 beneficiaries of social assistance. "We continue to move, hopefully, next
month there will be more additions," said Minister of Social Affairs in
Jakarta.
Since it was initiated by Minister
of Social Affairs in December 2022, it is hoped that this program can become a
priority activity within Ministry of Social Affairs in the context of
graduating poor and vulnerable groups, breaking the dependency of beneficiaries
on social assistance, and directing them to become independent and productive.
Even so, Minister of Social Affairs
stated that she did not carelessly graduate the beneficiaries. Ministry of Social Affairs has its standards
in determining the eligibility of beneficiaries for graduation from social
assistance. Minister of Social Affairs
wants to ensure that the beneficiaries are financially independent before
being released from participating in social assistance recipients.
"Our minimum graduation
standards are following the City/Regency Minimum Wage (UMK). Although sometimes they ask, we don't give
it, we don't want it, if it hasn't reached UMK.
"UMK is different in each region, so we use that
standard," explained Minister of Social Affairs.
As of July 2023, as many as 1,322
PENA beneficiaries who had arrived above the minimum wage had graduated on
August 2, 2023, with details of 1,191 beneficiaries coming from regular social
assistance recipients. Meanwhile, besides that the assistance are not the recipients of social assistance but they are recorded in the
Integrated Social Welfare Data (DTKS).
Meanwhile, for July – September
2023 period, as many as 4,051 PENA beneficiaries who had incomes above UMK were
each graduated on October 25, 2023, bringing the total graduation to date to
5,373 beneficiaries.
Rusyawati (50), for example. This woman with four children from Pondok
Aren, South Tangerang City is one of 4,051 beneficiaries who are ready to
graduate from PKH social assistance.
After running a food stall business for more than 10 years and recently
receiving an assistance from PENA Program, she admits that she is
financially capable.
“By coming here, it means I am
ready to graduate. Coincidentally, my
children are in college, and I can afford them, even until they graduate. "I feel I can meet the
needs of school children, I am ready to leave social assistance," said
Mpok Yus - as she is usually called.
Apart from that, Mpok Yus also felt
that she was the right choice to withdraw from social assistance. Physically present among representatives of
4,051 other graduation beneficiaries at Aneka Bhakti Building (GAB) of Ministry
of Social Affairs, she felt motivated by Minister Risma.
“Happy, gain insight, increase knowledge. You know that spirit, you can't slack off,
you can't give up. "God will give
us a way, you can't back down except from PKH," she said, conveying the
message she received from Minister Risma.