Government Maps 88 Districts/Cities to Achieve Zero Extreme Poverty Target

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Coordinating Minister for Community Empowerment Abdul Muhaimin Iskandar stated that the government has mapped 88 districts and cities to be the focus of efforts to accelerate the elimination of extreme poverty. “Through various government programmes that can still be channelled and refocused in those 88 districts and cities,” said Coordinating Minister Muhaimin Iskandar during a ministerial-level meeting in Jakarta on Monday (11/5). His side hopes that these efforts can significantly reduce extreme poverty to 0 per cent by 2026, as mandated by Presidential Instruction No. 8 of 2025 on Optimising the Implementation of Poverty Alleviation and Elimination of Extreme Poverty. He added that the handling strategy in these priority areas will not only rely on cash social assistance but will also strengthen the empowerment ecosystem. In the future, productive-age residents will receive short-term job training so they can quickly be absorbed into the job market or start their own businesses. The success of this regional strategy, continued Muhaimin Iskandar, greatly depends on the accurate use of the National Single Socio-Economic Data (DTSEN). The Coordinating Minister acknowledged field dynamics where removing ineligible aid recipients has caused social unrest. Therefore, he emphasised the importance of digital infrastructure readiness in every region to address information disparities and ensure social assistance is truly on target. “We hope that Presidential Instruction No. 8 of 2025 truly becomes the foundation for all Poverty Reduction and Public Welfare Improvement Programmes (Pro-Kesra) as part of national development priorities,” said Coordinating Minister Muhaimin Iskandar.