Life is Healthy

Antara News, Wednesday, March 24, 2010 19:17 WIB

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said he did not believe in developmental theories that only prioritize economic growth but ignore even distribution of prosperity among all segments of the people.

"I do not believe in theories which extol economic growth but fail to make the people enjoy the benefits of development. I also do not approve of economic mechanisms in which the government is not permitted to interfere because they do not run well in developing countries," President Yudhoyono said.

The head of state made the remarks at the opening of a National Working Meeting on people`s empowerment in the framework of the government`s 2010 National Self-Reliant Community Empowerment Program (PNPM) at the Grand Sahid Hotel on Wednesday.

On the occasion the president said the government`s role in the development of various sectors including people`s economy and welfare was still needed to guarantee the provision of subsidies for the people.

"In the past when we had the idea to implement free education and free health care following the fuel price hikes, some people disagreed with it because according to them it would only spoil the people, " the president said.

Commenting on the PNPM program, the President said its implementation had even become better from year to year, although there were still technical shortcomings.

The three-day National Working Meeting from March 24-26, 2010 is participated in by 32 provincial governors, 394 district heads and mayors, and a number of regional officials responsible for the implementation of the PNPM program.

The meeting`s agenda included coordination of job opportunity expansion efforts and poverty reduction policies, the system of national development planning to reduce poverty , the management of state money and sources of cost at home and abroad, and the decentralization of regional government organizations.

The government`s National Self-Reliant Community Empowerment Program (PNPM) is a concrete effort to reduce poverty and unemployment in the country.

The concrete efforts to reduce poverty and unemployment are those carried out by the central and regional governments such as the extension of assistance under the PNPM scheme.