President launches national community empowerment progam

Palu, C Sulawesi (ANTARA News) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono launched a National Community Empowerment Program (PNPM) which is expected to improve the welfare of less fortunate communities in the country here on Monday.

The PNPM is a drive launched by the government to speed up efforts to eliminate poverty and create job opportunities through consolidated community empowerment programs which so far have been conducted separately by various ministries and state institutions.

President Yudhoyono said that the PNPM was a government drive along with the communities to create opportunities, improve education, medical services, food, energy and others so that their daily needs would be met.

With the program, the people in the future were expected to become self-reliant, have enough food, clothing, housing, education, and security.

"Therefore, this program must be successful because the government has allocated a large amount of funds for it. The government provides large funds because they are aimed at helping less prosperous communities. The funds must reach the people," the president said.

He said the government allocated Rp19 trillion for the poverty elimination program in 2004, and the amount was raised to Rp24 trillion in 2005 and to Rp41 trillion in 2006.

This year, the president said, the amount of funds for the program had been set at Rp51 trillion and the government would try its best to increase it next year.