Allocation of Poverty Funds to be Rearranged

Thursday, 07 December, 2006 | 16:38 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The government is planning to rearrange funds for handling poverty in every department. According to the Deputy State Minister of National Development Planning of Poverty, Manpower, and Small-to-Medium-Sized Enterprises Division Bambang Widianto, the arrangement is intended to focus poverty handling through people-based development.

For the time being, each department has a budget for handling poverty. “However, if it is observed more closely, the projects are not in line with the program for handling poverty. The program is only created as long as they obtain the budget,” Bambang told Tempo.

In the 2007 State Budget, total funds that are allocated for the program reach Rp55 trillion. The running program is only implemented in the form of subdistrict empowerment and poverty handling in urban areas. “We will later give a template to all programs for handling poverty, which do indeed form development based on society,” said Bambang.

Based on notes of the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas), the poverty rate is still high. This year, the amount of poor people is around 17.75 percent. Next year, the number is estimated to decrease to 16.5 percent.

The government's target to reduce unemployment and poverty rate in 2009, according to Bambang, is difficult to achieve. “Even if the target is not met, society can see that security is under control. Primary needs such as rice is always ready,” said Bambang.

KURNIASIH BUDI