Deputy Minister: Transmigration alleviates poverty and strengthens food self-sufficiency

Deputy Minister of Transmigration Viva Yoga Mauladi has affirmed that the transmigration programme strengthens the integrity of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI), alleviates poverty, supports food self-sufficiency, and creates new economic growth centres in various regions.

The Deputy Minister stated this is in accordance with President Prabowo Subianto’s mandate for the Ministry of Transmigration to support national development through four interconnected main objectives.

“The mandate from President Prabowo includes four reasons why the Ministry of Transmigration was re-established,” the Deputy Minister said at the release event for 16 tonnes of crab products from transmigrants across several Indonesian regions destined for the United States in Gresik, East Java, on Monday.

He mentioned the first objective is to maintain the integrity of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI) through the movement of people from various ethnicities, cultures, and regions, thereby strengthening national unity.

“A sense of nationhood emerges because of assimilation and acculturation, so that a person from Gresik marrying someone from Papua, or a person from Gresik marrying someone from Sumatra, is a common thing. Something considered normal today actually reinforces our national spirit,” he said.

The second objective is to alleviate poverty by providing land to transmigrant communities as part of agrarian reform to support livelihoods and productive business activities.

The land is utilised for housing areas, yards, and business land, thus providing the community with opportunities to improve their economic welfare sustainably.

“Because the state provides 1 hectare or 2 hectares of land as part of agrarian reform to transmigrant communities, used for housing, yards, and business land so that a change in their fortunes can occur, enabling them to become more prosperous,” the Deputy Minister explained.