Govt to distribute up to Rp1.5 billion to 1,993 sub district in 2007

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The government is to distribute Rp500 million to Rp1.5 billion in Direct Community Assistance (BLM) funds to every sub district in the country this year as part of its efforts to lower the poverty and unemployment rates, a spokesman said.

"This year, some 1.993 sub districts in 346 districts in 32 provinces will receive the financial assistance," Ayip Muflich, director general of public and rural community empowerment at the Home Affairs Ministry said here Monday.

He said reduction of the poverty and unemployment rates was provided for in the National Self-reliant Public Empowerment Program through the Sub District Development Program the funds for which were obtained from community self-help activities, the Regional State Budget, the National State Budget and donor organizations.

"The government`s target is to lower the poverty rate from 39.5 million people or 17.75 percent of 2006 data to 18.24 million people or 8.2 percent in 2009," he said.

The amounts of the funds allocation for the direct community assistance were determined based on the population figures recorded by the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) and the number of sub districts based on proposals from regional administrations.

"We hope in 2009 all sub districts can be covered so that all poverty pockets can be reached," he said.

The assistance funds would be handed directly to community groups in the sub districts concerned and it would be up to the local communities concerned on what development activities the money would be spent.

The development activities could be improvement of rural infrastructure, savings and lending activities among women, productive economic ventures, health and education services, Ayip said.