President Prabowo Subianto’s flagship programs, including Free Nutritious Meals (MBG), People’s School, and Merah Putih Village/Urban Cooperatives (Kopdes), are like express lanes aimed at accelerating poverty eradication. These initiatives are not just about reducing poverty through social assistance, but about empowering people and making them economically self-reliant. Head of the Poverty Eradication Acceleration Agency (BP Taskin), Budiman Sudjatmiko, compared the government’s approach to a football game, where the goal is to help the “players” (the poor) become skilled, well-nourished, and economically accessible to score the goal of eradicating poverty.
Sekolah Rakyat, a boarding-based program, aims to break the cycle of poverty, while MBG and Kopdes Merah Putih provide economic benefits to entire communities. These programs are expected to create millions of jobs and increase demand in upstream sectors like farmers, SMEs, and village-owned enterprises. The Deputy Head of BP Taskin, Nanik S. Deyang, highlighted that these programs give poor households tangible hope for independence by removing children from limiting environments and generating economic benefits for local producers. For example, MBG’s large-scale operations have led to increased employment in small factories and for vegetable or poultry traders.
Moreover, Kopdes Merah Putih plays a crucial role in streamlining supply chains by eliminating costly middlemen. This allows for the provision of 3-kilogram LPG cylinders at government-set rates and access to affordable fertilizer for farmers. Kopdes also provides affordable credit, freeing people from predatory lenders, and offering capital on more favorable terms than traditional banks. These programs are essential in creating economic opportunities, promoting independence, and ultimately helping to end poverty.
