Next Government Expected To Carry On Pro-People Policies

Jakarta, Aug 15 (Antara) - The next government is expected to continue carrying on pro-people policies, stated President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Speaking during his annual state-of-the-nation address before a joint session of the House of Representatives (DPR) and the Regional Representative Council (DPD) on Friday, Yudhoyono implied that the next government should continue to implement pro-people policies. "The pro-people policies must continue to be carried out massively, be it on the basis of social assistance and security, people empowerment, or micro and small enterprise empowerment," he noted. Yudhoyono remarked that the pro-people policies of his government were not implemented haphazardly or half-heartedly. Rather, they were carried out in a well-planned, systematic, and comprehensive manner. "The implementation of National Program for Community Empowerment (PNPM Mandiri), for example, has significantly improved, and today, at least more than a quarter of Indonesian people, approximately 60 million people, both in the rural and urban areas have reaped the benefits of this program and have lived a more independent economic life," he pointed out. The president affirmed that in thousands of locations where the PNPM programs are implemented, the people have decided to carry out the types of economic activities that they were engaged in, determine the funds needed from the PNPM budget, and ensure its accountability. "It is a concrete example demonstrating that a partnership between the government and the people can really change our people`s fate," he stated. "Through my travels across Indonesia, I have always listened to what the people hope. They want the PNPM program to be continued and even intensified," Yudhoyono added. The government is also constantly revising the scheme of Smallholder Business Credit (KUR), given the fact that financial access is one of the most potent weapons to combat poverty. We want this program to be expanded and easily accessed by the people. We continue to improve the distribution of KUR, and the number of banks that distribute KUR continues to increase from 6 banks to 33 banks," he pointed out. So, the credit cover offered to Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (UMKM) and cooperatives continues to expand. For the last seven years, KUR distribution has reached more than Rp150 trillion and has been received by approximately 11 million debtors, with as much as 4 percent of non-performing loans. It really proves that if our people are given the opportunity and required assistance to change their fate, then they will make every effort and good use of the opportunity to accomplish it," he emphasized. According to Yudhoyono, the Aspiring Family Program (PKH) is another initiative to improve people empowerment. This program is aimed at reducing the poverty rate by way of improving the quality of human resources, particularly through education and health, among the impoverished group. More than 3 million impoverished families in 318 regencies and municipalities have benefited from the program.