“We are working with all our effort to ensure that the middle class does not fall, even as they continue to face various pressures from the ongoing global economic challenges,” Iskandar said while opening the National Working Meeting of the Open University Alumni Association here on Thursday.
He added that the number of vulnerable poor people is still very high and tends to increase.
“The number of vulnerable poor today is rising due to multiple factors, including the global economic crisis and various challenges we are currently facing,” he said.
According to him, societal vulnerability is not only caused by economic factors but also by past government programs that were carried out not on-target.
“Vulnerability occurs not only because of external factors but also due to policy choices over the past decades that need reform. That is why President Prabowo uses the term ‘transformation'," the minister explained.
He continued, "Transformation means ongoing, continuous change through experiences and processes, ensuring past failures are not repeated."
The government carries the theme of empowerment with the goal of making Indonesia a strong and independent nation.
“Since President Prabowo’s inauguration, the Red and White Cabinet has emphasized empowerment as part of our commitment to grow and become strong independently because, fundamentally, we are a wealthy nation. A wealthy nation that has all the prerequisites to stand on its own,” Iskandar said.
On that occasion, Iskandar urged all Open University alumni to actively serve as agents of empowerment through various initiatives.
Those initiatives may include strengthening field-based research, providing scholarships for underprivileged communities, ensuring the continuation of education for Sekolah Rakyat graduates, and promoting preventive healthcare through the Free Health Check-up program.
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Translator: Anita, Kenzu
Editor: Primayanti
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