Secretary General of the Ministry of Social Affairs Encourages UPT to Activate the Role of Public Relations

JAKARTA (October 1, 2019) - Secretary General of the Ministry of Social Affairs Hartono Laras asked the Ministry of Social Affairs to not hesitate to publish the achievements of its programs to the public. With publications, the public can find out the government's performance.

"I ask the head of UPT in the regions to convey to the public through the media. News through the media is part of the control mechanism from the public, in line with the Ministry of Social Affairs budget which is increasing from year to year," Hartono Laras said when delivering remarks and opening the "Synchronization Meeting and Optimizing the Role of Public Relations", in Jakarta, Tuesday (01/10/2019).

Attending the event were the Ministerial Senior Advisor for Social Accessibility and Acting Head of the Public Relations Bureau Sonny W Manalu, a number of Echelon II officials, and Heads of Technical Service Units (UPT) from all over Indonesia.

Furthermore, the Secretary General stated that the Ministry of Social Affairs budget continues to increase from year to year. In 2015, the Ministry of Social Affairs budget amounted to IDR 22.4 trillion, in 2018 it increased to IDR 43.3 trillion, and in 2019 it increased to IDR 58.9 trillion.

"In 2020, the Ministry of Social Affairs budget increased again to IDR 62.77 trillion," said the Secretary General. This budget increase, said the Secretary General, can be interpreted as a mandate, trust, and hope from the community, especially the Social Welfare Service Recipients (PPKS).

Although indeed, budget management is full of challenges, because it is required to be solid, careful, professional, accountable, and transparent. "A large budget must perform. It must be able to ensure that it is right on target and really answers the needs of PPKS," said the Secretary General.

So far, said the Secretary General, the performance of budget management has been good, which can be seen from the declining poverty rate, which has reached below the single-digit level. Namely, 9.82% as of March 2018 and 9.66% as of September 2018, the latest based on the Statistics Indonesia Agency (BPS) report of 9.41% as of July 2019.

The accountability aspect is also encouraging. "Three times in a row, the Ministry of Social Affairs received the WTP predicate from the audit results of the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK)," said the Secretary General. This good development must continue to be supported by various efforts including by creating a positive, conducive, and cool media opinion environment.

Therefore, the Secretary General encouraged the heads of centers and heads of workshops within the Ministry of Social Affairs to actively convey the achievements of national programs and UPT programs. "Every leader in the Ministry of Social Affairs is a public relations officer. Moreover, UPT which is the front guard of the Ministry of  Social Affairs that is in direct contact with PPKS," he said.

The Secretary General stated, in this era of digital communication there is an assumption, if we don't talk, then we don't work. "So please let the UPT heads take advantage of this information disclosure, be more proactive with the media. If necessary, take the initiative to open networks with the media, for example by conducting media visits," said the Secretary General.

On the same occasion, Acting Head of the Public Relations Bureau Sonny W Manalu stated that today's activity is an inseparable series of activities of the Public Relations Bureau that have been carried out previously. Sonny stated that the frontline UPT can carry out public relations functions by conducting Dissemination, publication, and advocacy both related to their respective fields of work, as well as ministry programs in general, including national priority programs.

For this purpose, UPT needs to be provided with strengthening provisions both in terms of knowledge, public relations capacity, and building common information and perceptions. "So that in the context of a broader public relations strategy, it is hoped that synergy will grow in supporting the implementation of social welfare development programs," said Sonny.

"Thus, this activity is also carried out as a place for exchanging information and learning, through discussions and providing public relations material to improve the expertise of officers in the UPT Ministry of Social Affairs," he said.

Acting Head of Public Relations Bureau RI Ministry of Social Affairs

Sonny W. Manalu