"We educate our people not to wait for social assistance but also to utilize our State Budget for empowerment and to be independent," he remarked on the sidelines of the Regional Head Retreat Batch II at IPDN, Jatinangor, on Wednesday.
To effectively implement Presidential Instruction Number 8 of 2025, he outlined three main policy frameworks that regional heads must follow.
The first is to reduce community spending through the availability of public facilities, infrastructure, and transportation, as well as by lowering the tax burden.
"We have to realize a more affordable life for our people," he emphasized.
Second, he called for increasing community income, especially by developing the potential of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and fostering entrepreneurship.
"Regional heads should not only provide training but also carry out mentoring to increase the capacity of the community and develop MSMEs, which eventually will lead to better production quality," Iskandar remarked.
Meanwhile, the third policy is to address and reduce pockets of poverty in the regions.
The minister urged regional heads to map slum areas to promptly intervene through infrastructure and housing improvements.
"If it cannot be fixed, then it can be moved. Relocation is also an option to eliminate pockets of poverty," he stated.
He then noted that social assistance should be temporary, provided for a maximum of five years. Only two groups—the elderly and people with disabilities—are eligible for long-term assistance.
"Besides these two groups, we must encourage the community to be independent. No longer waiting for social assistance but using the state budget to become more empowered," he emphasized.
Iskandar hopes this new paradigm can be implemented consistently at the central and regional levels to help poverty alleviation programs run more effectively and sustainably.
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Translator: Rubby Jovan, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
Copyright © ANTARA 2025
