JAKARTA, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- Indonesian President Joko Widodo has issued an order to add more efforts and budget allocations to finance measures aimed at tackling poverty and unemployment as well as domestic and foreign aids programs.
The order was issued at a cabinet meeting held in the presidential office here on Monday.
"I would ask the state budget this year be focused more on efforts to address poverty problems by adding more allocations," the president said at the meeting attended by ministers and other senior officials.
The efforts should also be coupled with efforts to address unemployment as it may lead to social disparities in the country, the president added.
Indonesia saw an increasing number of people living below the poverty line.
The figure reached 27.77 million by March this year, accounted for 10.64 percent of its population.
Southeast Asia's largest economy recorded over 7.01 million people unemployed as of February this year, most of whom were found in urban areas.
Besides putting priorities to settle poverty and unemployment issues, the president also reminded his ministers to continue providing aids for those affected by natural disasters in the country and continuing to send aids to Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and Myanmar.
