Family Of Hope Program Beneficial For Education And Health

JAKARTA, Oct 5 (Antara) - The Family of Hope Program (PKH) of the Ministry of Social Affairs, in an effort to reduce poverty and inequality, is also proven to have a positive impact on education and health. The positive impact of the program is that it influences an increase in household consumption and school participation, and improves the access of pregnant women and toddlers to health services. This evidence is based on the evaluation of the World Bank, the National Development Planning Agency, and the National Team for Accelerating Poverty Reduction, and the Research and Development Center of the Ministry of Social Affairs. In a report on Sustainable Economic Equity in the Implementation of Social Security Program, during the three-year administration of President Joko Widodo and Vice President Jusuf Kalla, the per capita household consumption increased by more than 10 percent, and an increase in food expenditure on protein increased by 6.8 percent. In the school enrollment rate, access to Primary School increased by 49.2 percent, access to Junior High School increased by 49.9 percent, and access to Senior High School increased by 30.9 percent. In addition, there is an increase in the percentage of children who continue to pursue secondary education by 8.8 percent. The Family of Hope Program also has an impact on the decline in the number of child laborers. In health services, the PKH also increases access of pregnant women to pregnancy examinations in health facilities by 45 percent and increases access of children under five to health examinations by 47 percent. Following the PKH program, there was an increase in births in health facilities by 4.30 percent, the increase in births assisted by medical personnel by 6.10 percent, and an increase of complete immunization by 4.50 percent. PKH also supports the stunting rate reduction as much as 2.7 percent. Hence, the Ministry of Social Affairs will continue to finalize preparations ahead of the expansion of non-cash social assistance in the form of the PKH program from six million beneficiary families to 10 million by 2018. "I will intensively check the overall preparation, starting from data, budget, card printing, companion, etc. so that nothing is passed," Social Affairs Minister Khofifah Indar Parawansa remarked in a written statement recently. Khofifah explained that the Ministry of Social Affairs is currently conducting data verification and validation, and by the end of October 2017, the verification and validation of integrated database will be completed. While related to budget readiness, Khofifah stated that it was also safe, because the calculation of PKH budget for 10 million beneficiary families has been included in the State Revenue and Expenditure Budget Plan 2018 (R-APBN 2018) 2018. According to her, the total budget prepared for the expansion of the Family of Hope Program to 10 million beneficiary families was Rp17.4 trillion. "We are optimistic that the number of poor families will continue to decline in the years to come," Khofifah remarked some time ago. Data from the Central Bureau of Statistic (BPS) showed that as of September 2016, the number of poor families, with monthly spending per capita below the poverty line in Indonesia, has reached 27.76 million people (10.70 percent of the population), down 0.25 million people compared to March 2016, when the number was at 28.01 million people (10.86 percent). As of March 2016, the number of poor families in urban areas has been set at 7.79 percent of the population and declined to 7.73 percent as of September. The number of poor people in rural areas declined from 14.11 percent to 13.96 percent during the same period. "It means there is a decreasing number of poor families of some 250 thousand people in Indonesia. The BPS data would be used as a reference for other ministries and regional administrations," she added. BPS data in March 2016 showed that the number of poor families in Indonesia reached 28.01 million, or 10.86 percent, a decrease from the September 2015 record of 28.51 million, or 11.13 percent. Khofifah remarked that under the program, some 600 thousand families have escaped from poverty and have become more prosperous. They would next be referred to other empowerment programs. In North Kalimantan Province, the Ministry of Social Affairs has allocated funds worth Rp16 billion for the Family of Hope Program. North Kalimantan Governor Irianto LambrIie noted in a written statement in Nunukan on Tuesday that the funds, allocated from the state budget every year, had a positive impact on the economic welfare of the poor people in Indonesia's youngest province. The governor revealed that the funds for the Family of Hope Program are expected to alleviate poverty for 8,511 beneficiary families in the province of North Kalimantan. "The funds must be used for meeting the basic needs and not for unimportant purposes," the governor added. In the meantime, Social Affairs Office Chief of North Kalimantan Sugiono pointed out that the central government's program for North Kalimantan aims to boost the development of local human resources. North Kalimantan is part of the country's region that directly shares its borders with neighboring Malaysia and is expected to catch up with the economies of other provinces in Kalimantan Island. The province has abundant potentials that must be utilized for the benefit of all people, according to President Joko Widodo (Jokowi). Jokowi believed that several things need to be improved in developing North Kalimantan. For instance, economic growth in the province was only 3.75 percent, and the growth was indeed influenced by a fluctuation in the prices of commodities, particularly of mining commodities, in the global market.