PKH PROGRAM EXPECTED TO HELP CUT POVERTY RATE

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Oct 19 (Antara) - The government's Family of Hope Program (PKH), a social protection program that provides cash assistance to the very poor families, is expected to help the government achieve its target of lowering poverty rate by 7-8 percent.         Hence, the government has set a target to cover 10 million beneficiary families under the PKH program in 2018, so that its efforts to cut poverty rate would be successful.         Social Affairs Minister Khofifah Indar Parawansa stated that the PKH was found to be the most effective program, compared to other social assistance and subsidies, as it contributed to a reduction of poverty rates by 0.15 percent.         "Of all social and subsidy assistances in Indonesia, PKH is considered to be the most effective in reducing poverty rates," Khofifah pointed out in a press conference to mark three years of the government of President Joko Widodo and Vice President Jusuf Kalla in her office in Jakarta on Thursday.         In addition, the effectiveness of the PKH is not different from the roles of guiders and coordinators who assist and guide the PKH beneficiaries (KPM).          According to her, out of all assistances and subsidies, only PKH has guiders recruited specifically by the Ministry of Social Affairs.