Prabowo Targets Extreme Poverty Eradication Through 29 Welfare Policies

President Prabowo Subianto is determined to eliminate extreme poverty by issuing 29 policies that directly target citizens in the extreme poverty to vulnerable poverty categories, specifically those in the first to fourth income deciles. During a Plenary Cabinet Session at the State Palace in Jakarta on Monday, the President outlined that the government’s welfare enhancement programmes are divided into three categories: poverty eradication (0 per cent poverty), universal programmes, and affirmative programmes. He began his presentation by highlighting the Family Hope Programme (PKH), which targets 10 million families in the first to fourth deciles. “They receive between Rp75,000 and Rp250,000 per month,” the President stated. He also detailed the People’s Schools initiative, providing Rp4 million per month for children from the poorest families, and the Smart Indonesia Card (KIP) for university students, which offers living cost assistance of Rp800,000 to Rp1.4 million per month to 1.2 million students. The President further noted that Single Tuition Fees (UKT) are paid directly to universities. The Smart Indonesia Programme (PIP) also supports 22.1 million school students from the lowest four deciles. “Our partiality towards the poor is extraordinary,” he remarked. In the health sector, the National Health Insurance (JKN) now covers 96.8 million people. “Nearly 100 million, 20 times the population of Singapore, 3.5 times larger than Malaysia,” the President said. He also detailed subsidies for LPG, diesel, electricity, and Pertalite fuel, as well as discounted train and sea transport fares. The food assistance programme provides 10 kilograms of rice and 2 litres of cooking oil for three months to 33.24 million families. “Show me another country like us? There may be some that are greater, but for the Indonesian nation, not bad. We are strong, we are rich, and we will be richer because we refuse to be naive anymore, we refuse to be too good,” the President asserted. The 29 welfare support programmes for 2026 include: the Family Hope Programme (PKH) for 10 million families; People’s Schools for 44,635 students; Smart Indonesia Card (KIP) for university students covering 1.2 million students; Smart Indonesia Programme (PIP) for 22.1 million school students; Sembako Card for 18.25 million families; ATENSI social assistance for 83,357 recipients; PBI National Health Insurance (JKN) for 96.8 million people; Socio-Economic Empowerment assistance; Self-Help Housing Stimulant Assistance (BSPS) for 400,000 recipients; Housing Financing Liquidity Facility (FLPP); disaster relief assistance; LPG subsidies for 66.4 million households; diesel subsidies and compensation; Pertalite compensation; electricity subsidies and compensation for 87 million customers; train fare discounts; sea transport fare discounts; and food assistance for 33.24 million families. Universal programmes include Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) for 74.56 million recipients and Free Health Check-ups (CKG) for 130.8 million people. Affirmative programmes include graduate internships, the Sekolah Unggul Garuda elite school programme, LPDP scholarships, S1 Garuda scholarships, and S1 Defence University scholarships.