Jakarta (ANTARA) - The pre-employment card program has had a positive impact on beneficiaries, particularly in relation to entrepreneurial competence, financial industry, financial security, and food management, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, has said.

The impact of the pre-employment card is evident from the results of independent research conducted by Presisi Indonesia, which was funded by the Japanese government, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), and the Melinda and Bill Gates Foundation, the minister added.

"The pre-employment card program was a campaign by President Joko Widodo that has been succeeded by the Ministry of Economy. The President wanted training and up-skilling programs for millions of workforce, especially now that we are facing two disruptions, namely the pandemic and Industrial Revolution 4.0 or digital transformation," Hartarto noted during a webinar on 'Pre-Employment Card Evaluation' in Jakarta on Wednesday.

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Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the government has refocused the pre-employment card program to distribute social assistance, aside from providing training for the community, he said.

In 2020, the government disbursed Rp20 trillion for the program, Rp21 trillion in 2021, and in 2022, the budgeted funds will reach Rp11 trillion, he added.

"The pre-employment card is a public service innovation to distribute massive aid to all Indonesian people, from Sabang to Merauke, from Miangas to Rote Island. This is done with government innovations that implement an end-to-end digital system with a cloud-based system. The Finance Ministry will directly distribute the assistance to each participant's account," Hartarto informed.

Currently, the government needs more private business owners and the general public to participate in the development of the pre-employment card program, the minister said. Meanwhile, the government will focus on the regulations, standard procedures, and implementation of the program, he added.

"The government must provide an opportunity to innovate this program in an effort to increase service and safety for pre-employment card participants," he added.
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Translator: Sanya Dinda S, Resinta S
Editor: Suharto
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