Deputy Social Minister Agus Jabo Urges Himbara to Strengthen Community Empowerment

Indonesia’s Deputy Minister of Social Affairs (Wamensos) Agus Jabo Priyono has urged Bank Mandiri, as part of the State-Owned Banks Consortium (Himbara), to become more involved in the process of alleviating poverty among the community. He made this call while receiving a delegation from Bank Mandiri at the Ministry of Social Affairs office in Jakarta. “This is what the President (Prabowo Subianto) desires, for Himbara to be more involved in efforts to drive empowerment,” Agus stated in a written release on Monday (13/4/2026). Currently, the Ministry of Social Affairs is working to change the paradigm from dependency on social assistance to strengthening empowerment. To date, many Beneficiary Families (KPM) have been receiving social assistance for more than five years. Through empowerment strengthening, Agus hopes that the community can develop independence and gradually improve their quality of life until they no longer need social assistance. However, this empowerment strengthening cannot be done by the Ministry of Social Affairs alone. Agus has invited various parties, including Bank Mandiri, to contribute. “I request empowerment strengthening so that the community no longer depends on social assistance. The Ministry of Social Affairs will also embrace various parties, including Bank Mandiri and Himbara, to strengthen the programme,” Agus added. Agus explained that this empowerment strengthening can be provided in various forms. For example, the Ministry of Social Affairs provides laying hen livestock assistance in various regions. From these laying hens, the community can not only meet their family’s daily protein needs but also sell the egg production and increase family income. In addition to livestock farming, Agus explained various examples of empowerment strengthening that can be given to the community, such as skills training, business capital assistance, production tools, workshops, and various other aids that can enhance the capacity of KPM.