Family Planning Program Reduces Number of Poor
Thursday, 15 May, 2008 | 14:35 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Bandar Lampung: The head of the family welfare movement (PKK) Evi Mardianto asked to re-activate the family planning program to anticipate the population increase in the next few years.

“The poor will get poorer with an insignificant economy growth followed by a higher number of population,” she said in the fifteenth anniversary of national family planning day in Bandar Lampung yesterday.

She continued that the family planning program is a long-term investment of demography development. It will improve the qualification of human resources. “The result of the family planning program cannot be seen in a short-term period,” she said.

Head of the National Family Planning Board (BKKBN) Sugiri Syarief claims the family planning program has controlled the population significantly. There was a population of 202 million in 2000 while it could be increased to 280 million without a family planning program. “The program will economize on food, education, health insurance, and jobs ,” he said.

He agrees that after the reformation of 1998, the family planning program has not been prioritized . There is only 30 percent out of Rp1 trillion needs allocated for the program. The participation from productive-age couples remains low. “There is only Rp30 billion budgeted for this year,” he said.

Alternatively, BKKBN works together with community groups like the Education of Family Welfare (PKK) and religious-based organizations to disseminate information on the family planning program.

KURNIASIH BUDI