Jakarta, July 11 -- Indonesia's Poverty Alleviation Acceleration Agency (BP Taskin) has proposed that government social assistance be limited to specific vulnerable groups, namely the elderly and individuals with physical or mental disabilities.

"Wouldn't it be better if social aid only benefited the elderly and people with physical or mental disabilities?" said BP Taskin head Budiman Sudjatmiko during a media briefing in Jakarta on Friday.

He raised the idea in response to reports of misuse of social assistance funds for online gambling by some recipients.

In this context, he emphasized that instead of offering direct aid to physically able low-income citizens, the government should prioritize empowerment programs to help them escape ...