VP Amin embarks on official visit to East Java

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Vice President Ma'ruf Amin has departed for East Java on Thursday to preside over a coordination meeting on extreme poverty eradication and visit the halal industry centre in the province.

The vice president and other officials departed from the Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base in Jakarta at 7:45 a.m. local time (UTC +7) aboard a Boeing 737-500 presidential aircraft and are expected to land at the Juanda International Airport, Surabaya.

According to the Vice Presidential Secretariat's Press, Media, and Information official statement, VP Amin's first agenda upon his arrival in Surabaya was to preside over a meeting on the poverty eradication program taking place at the Grahadi Building, Surabaya.

The coordination meeting will be part of Amin's agenda on his official visit to seven provinces with districts designated as priority areas on the extreme poverty alleviation program during the 2021 period.

Earlier on Wednesday, Amin chaired a working meeting to address extreme poverty in West Java's five districts of Cianjur, Bandung, Kuningan, Indramayu, and Karawang in Bandung.

East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa and five East Java district heads of Lamongan, Bojonegoro, Sumenep, Probolinggo, and Bangkalan are expected to attend the coordination meeting, according to the statement.

At an earlier coordination meeting presided over by Amin from his official residence in Jakarta on Tuesday (Sept 28), he urged district heads to focus on the poverty eradication program in their respective districts and ensure smooth and direct provision of social benefits to the poor.

"Our main issue on the poverty eradication program is to ensure the direct benefit delivery and community empowerment program would be effective to alleviate the community from extreme poverty," the vice president stated in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Upon completion of the coordination meeting, VP Amin's next agenda is to attend a send-off ceremony for export of the first halal product produced in the Safe and Lock Halal Industrial Area in Sidoarjo.

Apart from the vice president, several ministers and government officials that are expected to attend the send-off ceremony for the export comprised Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita, Minister of Co-operatives and the Small and Medium Enterprises Teten Masduki, and Vice Presidential Special Staff Masduki Baidlowi. (*)