VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Social Affairs Ministry has launched the Social Entrepreneurship Program (Prokus) targeting graduated beneficiaries of the Family Hope Program (PKH) to assist them in keeping their businesses afloat.

"Prokus is aimed at empowering people through business approaches," the ministry's Director General of Social Empowerment, Edi Suharto, noted in a statement here on Sunday.

The first strategy is the B-for-S business approach to address the social risk, while the second is the B plus S approach, a business and social integration for the people’s empowerment.

The program is expected to lower poverty and unemployment.

Prokus has three components known as the Triple Power, comprising social assistance in incentive for working capital (BSiMU), Business Mentoring Incubation (IMB), and social mentoring.

For implementation of the program, the ministry has involved Oorange Unpad (Padjajaran University), State Polytechnic of Semarang (Polines) ZFN Agape Indonesia (Titipku), Bina Swadaya, and mentors from social affairs office in sub-districts.

"The entrepreneurship program is part of the government's intervention to help graduated PKH beneficiaries to survive in this pandemic," Suharto stated, adding that this is an anchor of the ministry's social empowerment program.

In 2020, Prokus fund of Rp3.5 million each was distributed to one thousand graduated PKH beneficiaries in the five regions of Majalengka District, West Bandung District, Jakarta, Semarang District, and Bantul District. (antaranews)