PORTALJABAR, BANDUNG CITY - Efforts to reduce poverty in Bandung City are carried out in a number of ways, including encouraging the birth of new entrepreneurs.

In this way, residents can earn income independently without having to wait for job vacancies from other parties.

This was stated by the Acting Mayor of Bandung, Bambang Tirtoyuliono when opening the 2024 job fair at the Grand Lodakara Hall (25/6/2024).

"It turns out that the current generation doesn't just want to look for work. But there are also jobs that generation Z and the millennial generation really want, namely wanting to become entrepreneurs or entrepreneurs," he said.

He said that one of the effective solutions to overcome the problem of poverty in the city of Bandung, apart from providing employment opportunities through job fairs, is also by creating new entrepreneurs.

"We certainly encourage anyone, especially those in the city of Bandung, to become entrepreneurs. "We continue to encourage not only conventional ones but unconventional ones such as YouTubers, online shops and others," he said.

As clear evidence of the Bandung City Government's support in preparing new entrepreneurs, a number of regional officials have also launched various new entrepreneur formation programs.

"Dispora provides entrepreneurship assistance and facilitation for young people. Disdagin facilitates helping entrepreneurs in the industrial and trade sectors. Including the UMKM Service and Manpower Office," he said.

Moreover, currently, the open poverty rate (TPT) in Bandung City continues to show a downward trend from year to year. In 2023, the TPT figure for Bandung City reached 8.83 percent or 116,400 people, a decrease compared to during the Covid-19 pandemic which reached 11.46 percent.

"To reduce formal unemployment, one of our treatments is this job fair. I would like to thank the companies that have provided job vacancies. What we have done to reduce unemployment through formal employment channels is already there," he said.

He also appealed to entrepreneurs to diligently enter employment data and comply with all employment rules and regulations.

"Together, we will build a profitable investment climate in the city of Bandung," he said.

Meanwhile, the Head of the West Java Manpower and Transmigration Department, Teppy Wawan Dharmawan, said that one way to solve the problem of poverty is by giving birth to new entrepreneurs.

“We cannot depend on outside investment to provide jobs. "We need to give birth to new entrepreneurs," he said.

He also appreciated the Bandung City Government's efforts in reducing the open unemployment rate in Bandung City as well as the various innovations launched, one of which is through the New BIMMA application.

"By connecting job vacancies and job seekers, they will definitely get jobs. We appreciate that the New BIMMA application can connect job seekers with job providers," he said. (Diskominfo Bandung City/Fauziah)