SURAKARTA (12 December 2019) – The Social Affairs Minister Juliari P. Batubara stated his concern on the high level of poverty in the villages compared to the national level of poverty. Through the Social Welfare Center, the Minister hoped that the villager’s access toward the basic service was got easier.

“The level of village’s poverty is around 13%, compare to the national level which is on average of 9,41%. With many programs, the government has commitment to create welfare on the village. Moreover, the President wants the village to become the economic driver,” said the Minister in his speech on the Opening of National Work Meeting of Central Board of Indonesian Village Governmental Apparatus Association, on Surakarta, Thursday (12/12/2019).

On that opportunity, the Minister also launched the “One Village One Social Welfare Center Movement”. The Social Welfare Center was an integrated service on village level, which was the “miniature” of Integrated Service on the regency level.

Through the Social Welfare Center, The Ministry of Social Affairs itself kept pushing the Local Government until the Village Government to do innovations related to public service, including in the social welfare management. “On the work of improving the social welfare service is not only on target, quick, responsive but also integrated,” said the Minister in front of Indonesian Village Governmental Apparatus Association (PAPDESI).

However, the MoSA’s budget on Social Welfare Center development was limited, in line with the program’s focus on Family Hope Program (PKH) and Non-Cash Food Assistance (BPNT). “In current time, the MoSA’s budget is enough for build two Social Welfare Center on a single regency,” said the Minister. With the limited budget, the Social Welfare Center development would be prioritized on independent village first.

On the principle, The Ministry of Social Affairs allowed the Regency who had interest in building the Social Welfare Center to submit a letter through the social office. “I think that it can be coordinated with Indonesian Village Governmental Apparatus Association,” said the Minister.

However, the Ministry of Social Affairs hoped that Indonesian Village Governmental Apparatus Association could improve the village budget management. Such as prepared the village data and Village Budget. The Minister asked the data and Budget toward the Indonesian Village Governmental Apparatus Association’s administrator, but it could not be answered properly. “Start from today, please finish the Village Budget and do the data collection of Indonesian Village Governmental Apparatus Association’s member,” said the Minister.

The village data, he said, was important. With the completed data, the government knew the total number of the village. Then, they could classify which village was included into the independent village, developed village, underdeveloped, or most underdeveloped.

It also for mapping the village’s potency. For example, in a certain village, it was based on handy craft, what kind of product they produced, etc. “If the data can be well reported, then the kind of intervention program can be determined,” said the Minister.

Moreover, the Social Affairs Minister also observed the preparation of E-Warong in the Sub-District of Sambikerep, the District of Sambikerep, Surabaya, East Java. Then, in the night time, the Minister and the group attended in the Improvement of Food Social Assistance Companion event, in Surabaya.

The Director General of Social Empowerment Pepen Nazaruddin, Director General of Poverty Reduction Andi ZA Dulung, Senior Advisor of Social Dynamics for Minister Asep Sasa Purnama, a number of Echelon II officials, structural and functional officials of Ministry of Social Affairs was accompanied the Minister.

Acting Head of Public Relations Bureau
The Indonesian Ministry of Social Affairs
Sonny W Manalu