REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - Indonesian Vice President Boediono welcomed US Senator Richard Lugar at the Vice President's Office on Wednesday. Lugar praised Indonesian economic growth at 6.5 percent, while he also would like to hear Indonesian development plan and policy for the poor. 

"Our main priority is to maintain the momentum of economic growth. Our target is more than 6 percent. On medium scale, it is on 7 to 8 percent per year," Boediono said. 

He emphasized that growth was the main key of development where the poor became the government’s priority. "We intervene directly by giving them rice for the poor with only 1,600 IDR per kilogram," he explained. 

Rice for the poor has been implemented since 1998 along with Direct Cash Aid (BLT). Another program mentioned by the vice president was National Program of People Empowerment (PNPM), a program providing some aids to rural areas.

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