Indonesia cards first step towards improving people`s welfare: President Jokowi

The provision of numerous cards, including the Healthy Indonesia Card and Smart Indonesia Card, to disadvantaged people across the country is the first step towards improving their welfare, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said.

"This is just the first step towards improving their welfare," President Jokowi stated while launching the Healthy Indonesia Card and Smart Indonesia Card at the Central Post Office here on Monday.

On the occasion, the president was accompanied by Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Puan Maharani, Social Minister Khofifah Indar Parawansa, and Minister of Basic and Intermediate Education and Culture Anies Baswedan, among others.

Here, Jokowi pointed out that improving public health services at hospitals and public health clinics were among other measures to be taken in this regard.

He further added that the distribution of these cards was expected to reach 19 districts/municipalities and nine provinces by the end of 2014.

Moreover, the head of state also explained that funding for non-cash assistance programs in the future will be increased and is expected to reach all provinces in the country. In keeping with this goal, he urged the public to make proper use of these cards.

According to the president, the government will gradually launch the programs of Prosperous Family Saving, Smart Indonesia, and Healthy Indonesia for the benefit of the 15.5 million disadvantaged people.

Meanwhile, Secretary of the National Team for the Acceleration of Poverty Reduction (TNP2K), Bambang Widianto, noted that the government had distributed Prosperous Family Cards (KKS), SIM Cards, Smart Indonesia Cards (KIP) and Healthy Indonesia Cards (KIS) to 1 million disadvantaged families in the preliminary stages of the programs.

"All these programs are part of a new era in the improvement of the welfare of disadvantaged people through savings accounts, furtherance of education and provision of health services," Widianto remarked.

He affirmed that the government had distributed KIPs to 157,943 of 1 million school-age children and KISs to 4,451,508 individuals in the preliminary stages of the programs.

source: http://www.antaranews.com