Jakarta (VNA) – The Indonesian Government willreform the social welfare system with the aim of erasing extreme poverty in2024, said Minister for National Development Planning Suharso Monoarfa.

The Southeast Asian country’s current extreme poverty rate rangesbetween 2.3 percent and 3 percent. However, President Joko Widodo has orderedto suppress it to zero percent by 2024, said Suharso

To achieve this target, he explained that thegovernment will focus on social assistance programmes targeting groups ofpeople who are categorised as vulnerable and poor.

Besides, the government is determined to reform thesocial protection system, the minister said.

Indonesia will update data on social protection to definepeople subjected to benefits without paying premium.

The country will rearrange and integrate various socialassistance programmes under some ministries and institutions and place theprogrammes under a strategic programme of social assistance, he added.

Indonesia’s social protection scheme as part of the NationalEconomic Recovery (PEN) Programme has been implemented effectively,helping 3.43 million people get rid of poverty. As of November 18, 2020,Indonesia had disbursed 82.4 percent of its budget for the scheme./.