Soeharto outlines poverty alleviation plan<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto outlined yesterday a detailed
\ncourse of action the country should pursue to combat poverty,
\ncalling for partnership between big and small enterprises and
\ncooperatives.<\/p>\n
Soeharto chaired yesterday the first limited cabinet meeting
\non poverty alleviation, and decided to hold the meeting every
\nthree months.<\/p>\n
Coordinating Minister for Production and Distribution Hartarto
\nand Minister of Information Harmoko said Soeharto underlined the
\nneed for better management of credits for small and medium
\nenterprises.<\/p>\n
"Credits should also be managed efficiently so that they reach
\nthe deserving parties... (and) don't become overdue," Soeharto
\nwas quoted by Hartarto as saying.<\/p>\n
The President also instructed the ministries of industry and
\ntrade, cooperatives, and the office of the Minister of Investment
\nto encourage supermarkets in Indonesia's 240 regencies to
\ncooperate with small and medium enterprises and cooperatives.<\/p>\n
Soeharto instructed the National Development Planning Board to
\ncreate a system to ensure that small and medium enterprises can
\ncompete in development project bids.<\/p>\n
The President regularly holds a monthly cabinet meeting on
\neconomic affairs. Coordinating ministers for economy and finance,
\nfor production and distribution, and for people's welfare hold
\nseparate preparatory meetings beforehand.<\/p>\n
Yesterday's meeting, which lasted for four and a half hours,
\nwas "proof of the government's seriousness in combating poverty,"
\nHarmoko said.<\/p>\n
The cabinet meeting also agreed to urge big companies to
\nprovide special vocational training for job seekers.<\/p>\n
"If each big company trains 100 people annually, it will be
\nvery helpful in stepping up the quality of our human resources,"
\nsaid Hartarto.<\/p>\n
He said great progress had been made in reducing the number of
\npeople living below the poverty line. "It significantly dropped
\nfrom 25.9 million (13.7 percent) to 22.5 million (11.3 percent)
\nin 1996," he said.<\/p>\n
The government launched a special poverty alleviation program
\nin 1994 for least-developed villages, called the Presidential Aid
\nfor Least-Developed Villages (IDT), in which each poor village
\nreceived Rp 20 million (US$8,390). In this fiscal year, the
\ngovernment has allocated Rp 479 billion to 22 least-developed
\nvillages.<\/p>\n
President Soeharto also established the Dana Sejahtera Mandiri
\nFoundation, which received funds from conglomerates. The
\nfoundation provides subsidized loans for poor families. (06)<\/p>",
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