Cak Imin Confident Social Welfare Recipients Will Decrease Thanks to Empowerment Programs

PEKANBARU, KOMPAS.com - Coordinating Minister for Community Empowerment Muhaimin Iskandar, commonly known as Cak Imin, is confident that the number of social welfare beneficiaries will decrease due to empowerment programs initiated by his ministry.

“In due time, we will reach a stage where the number of social welfare recipients will shrink, transforming them into independent individuals and economic actors,” said Cak Imin during the National Santri Day 2026 event at the Dar El Hikmah Islamic Boarding School in Pekanbaru, Riau, on Thursday (22/10/2026).

According to Cak Imin, the government must ensure that the statistical decline in poverty is directly correlated with improvements in the well-being of impoverished communities.

As a result, the government is beginning to shift its focus from social assistance to empowerment, enabling beneficiaries to become financially independent.

“Alhamdulillah, there has been a shift since President Prabowo's administration from social assistance to empowerment. Thus, every state budget expenditure from various ministries and agencies is directed towards empowerment,” he stated.

In the two years of President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka's administration, Cak Imin claims that Indonesia's poverty rate has decreased from 9 percent to 8 percent.

“In the course of our empowerment efforts, poverty has decreased. It's now at 8 percent, down from 9 percent,” said the Chairman of the National Awakening Party.

Cak Imin noted that this decrease represents a significant achievement for the Coordinating Ministry for Community Empowerment in addressing poverty through community empowerment policies, such as the establishment of micro, small, and medium enterprises (UMKM).

By 2029, the government aims to reduce the national poverty rate to a maximum of 5 percent.

“By 2029, we target a maximum rate of 5 percent. Simultaneously, we will develop and create at least 10 million UMKM entrepreneurs by the end of 2029,” he said.

Currently, Cak Imin mentioned that the government still has a responsibility to address poverty affecting 23 million people.

The poverty eradication target is focused on 88 districts and approximately 6,000 villages that are prioritized.

“We have a responsibility to address no less than 23 million targets across 88 districts affected by poverty. Additionally, there are 6,000 villages that we must continually monitor,” Cak Imin concluded.