REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Vice President Jusuf Kalla has called on all parties to intensify poverty alleviation efforts that have not been made optimally.

In the past seven years, the poverty level in Indonesia has decreased by three percent. However, the number is not quite encouraging, so numerous efforts still need to be carried out.

"Several efforts have been made, but they are not sufficient," he noted while opening the Indonesia Development Forum 2017 in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Implementing the People's Business Credit program for micro businesses and affirmation program by providing the Health Card and Smart Card are among the government's efforts to reduce poverty.

In terms of the gini ratio, Kalla clarified that the country has recorded a slight improvement in the area of consumption and not from the income aspect.

The most important step to narrow the economic gap is by increasing income possibilities and reducing expenditure.

In this case, the government has also been offering various subsidies, such as fuel and fertilizers.

"We also provide 'raskin' (subsidized rice-for-the-poor) and Family Hope Program, but they are still far from adequate. The most important aspect is how we can increase the general public's income," Kalla noted.

Meanwhile, the government will continue to face challenges in developing infrastructure if it keeps offering large amounts of subsidies.

Hence, the provision of every subsidy program, including Rp60 trillion of the village fund, for more than 70 thousand Indonesian villages, must be monitored and carefully managed to ensure that its distribution is right on target and should not only be channeled to the middle class, in this case, the local governments.

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