LABUAN BAJO (23 December 2019) – The Beneficiary Families (KPM) of Family Hope Program (PKH) who have graduated is the potential customers for the bank. The Social Affairs Minister Juliari P. Batubara pushed forward the state banks (Himbara), to recruit the Beneficiary Families Graduation as the Public Business Credit’s customer.

“The Beneficiary Families who had been graduated is the safest target (as customer). Because they have monitored on their conduit, business, and the data. Meanwhile our Beneficiary Families is in total of millions, if they take only a few percent, it’s been counted as a few million. Thus, there is no need to find new customers,” said the Minister in his work visit to Labuan Bajo, West Manggarai, NTT, Monday (23/12/2019).

In Labuan Bajo, the Minister did visitations to three locations, for disseminating the Family Hope Program and Non-Cash Food Assistance to the Regent of West Manggarai Office. The Social Affairs Minister also observed the E–Warong owned by Kornelis Dagut in Wae Kelambu Sub-District, Komodo District, and made interactions with the trader of Batu Cermin Market, not far from the E- Warong.

The Minister stated that the target for Public Business Credit’s distribution in 2019 was big, which was IDR190 trillion. According to him, it was not easy for the bank to distribute the credit in this amount. “Therefore, we have many Beneficiary Families of Family Hope Program graduation who have owned a business. This people can be offered to Public Business Credit,” he said.

He pushed the State Banks to actively work found the graduated Beneficiary Families of Family Hope Program. According to the Social Affairs Minister, found the graduated people of this program was not difficult because of the provided connection. “There are Regional Coordinator, Area Coordinator, or the companion,” said the Minister.

On the other hand, the Minister asked to the local head such as governor, regent, or mayor to act as the bridge for Public Business Credit’s distribution between the bank and the graduations of Beneficiary Families of Family Hope Program. “The Beneficiary Families graduation who has become the trader and need capital, can be connected to the bank. Give them the credit, so that when they had graduated, they do not need to receive the assistance,” he said.

The Social Affairs Minister paid the special attention towards the social welfare on West Manggarai, especially in Labuan Bajo. “The rate of poverty in Manggarai is 18 percent. This is still far above the national average which is 9,41 percent. Therefore, it hopes that there is an improvement on social welfare with the MoSA’s programs,” said the Minister.

As the super priority of tourist destination area, the Minister of Social Affairs wanted that the increased tourist visitation in Labuan Bajo could in line with the improvement of local social welfare. Thus, the Minister also pointed out on the importance of all stakeholder’s support, to create the comfort and secure situation for the tourist, including the foreign tourist.

“To the Chief of Resort Police, I ask the security and orderliness in the tourist sites to be guaranteed. If there are vulnerable potential, it must be handled as soon as possible. Everyone also has to participate in keeping the situation. If there is a tourist, please give a warm welcome,” said the Minister.

On the same opportunity, the Director General of Social Protection and Security Harry Hikmat stated that on 2019, the social assistance which distributed to the Nusa Tenggara Timur Province, until December of 2019, was in total of IDR1.802.339.813.830.

“The fourth biggest, after East Java, West Java, Central Java, and West Nusa Tenggara. Bigger the social assistance means that the bigger amount of pre-welfare people who has to help. However, this is also a form of attention from the Ministry of Social Affairs, by the distributed assistance,” said Harry.

Those assistance covered to the social assistance of Family Hope Program, Non-Cash Food Assistance, Collective Business Group, RS-Rutilahu and Environmental Facilities social assistance. Meanwhile, for the West Manggarai Regency, until December of 2019, was worth IDR103.185.870.000.

Along with the Minister, Harry hoped that, with this assistance, the poverty in West Manggarai could be handled. “Based on the data from Statistics Indonesia per March 2019, the rate of poverty in East Nusa Tenggara is 21,09 percent. In the West Manggarai Regency, the Statistic Data per September 2018 showed that the poverty rate is 18,14 percent. Hopefully with that assistance, the poverty rate can be lowed,” said the Director General of Social Protection and Security.

In that opportunity, the Director General also conveyed to the Social Affairs Minister that the graduated and the high-achiever child of Beneficiary Families of Family Hope Program. For each high-achiever child provided student savings worth IDR 1 million.

The Director General of Social Protection and Security Harry Hikmat, Director General of Poverty Handling Andi ZA Dulung, the Echelon 2 officials, structural and functional officials of the MoSA was accompanying the Social Affairs Minister in this event. There are the Regent of West Manggarai Agustinus CH. Dula and other local government elements attended in this event.

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