IFAD urges govt and donors to focus aid on rural poor<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The International Fund for Agricultural
\nDevelopment (IFAD) has urged the government and international
\ndonors to focus their assistance on Indonesia's rural poor.<\/p>\n
IFAD Country Portfolio Manager for Indonesia Mattia Prayer
\nGalletti said on Monday that the economic crisis had shown that
\nthe country's rural poor was more adaptive to economic change
\nthan the destitute living in urban areas.<\/p>\n
\"The rural poor can, and should, be considered as credible
\npartners in development work. The government and foreign donors
\nshould focus more on the development of rural areas,\" he told The
\nJakarta Post.<\/p>\n
The majority of international financial assistance provided to
\nIndonesia, including in the form of food subsidies, credit for
\nincome-generating activities and public works programs, benefits
\nmainly the urban poor.<\/p>\n
IFAD fears the government has made drastic cuts in its
\nspending on rural infrastructure as part of its budget
\nadjustments during the crisis.<\/p>\n
Galletti said IFAD, which could arrange additional funds for
\nIndonesia, wanted the lion's share of the aid to be directed to
\ndevelop infrastructure in rural areas to create more job
\nopportunities.<\/p>\n
\"The real challenge is to ensure that a substantial part of
\nthese funds is allocated to the rural sector and that the rural
\npoor benefit through employment generation in rural areas,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He said the government should realize the country's remote
\nareas were in need of greater assistance.<\/p>\n
Rural areas have not only been affected by the financial
\ncrisis but have also borne the brunt of a drought and massive
\nforest fires.<\/p>\n
\"The incidence of poverty is greater in these areas, which are
\nmostly inhabited by indigenous people. This includes parts of
\nKalimantan, Irian Jaya, East and West Nusa Tenggara and Maluku.
\nWe should pay more attention to these areas,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Ministry of Agriculture Secretary-General Syarifuddin Karama
\nsaid the government had made rural development its long-term
\nfocus.<\/p>\n
\"The economic crisis has created much unemployment for city
\ndwellers, migrants and temporary workers who are being forced
\nback to rural areas,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"With limited land and technology, this reverse worker
\nmigrational flow will be a great burden to rural areas. We should
\ncreate jobs for them through infrastructure development,\" he said
\nin a speech at an agricultural development workshop.<\/p>\n
The three-day workshop, which opened on Monday, is being
\njointly held by IFAD and the Ministry of Agriculture to identify
\nthe effects of the monetary crisis on agricultural development
\nand the projects needed to be financed in the future.<\/p>\n
IFAD, a Rome-based agency under the United Nations, began its
\noperations in Indonesia in 1981. To date, the agency has provided
\nUS$219 million in soft loans to finance 10 agricultural projects.
\nIt is currently involved in five ongoing projects.<\/p>\n
IFAD assistant president Klemens van de Sand said the agency
\nwas interested in fostering a more targeted, innovative and
\ncommunity led resilience-building program in the future.<\/p>\n
He said IFAD was currently formulating a special program
\nconcentrated on the rehabilitation of rural infrastructures
\nthrough irrigation networks, access roads in remote and hilly
\nareas and the building of small-scale water control schemes.
\n(gis)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ifad-urges-govt-and-donors-to-focus-aid-on-rural-poor-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}