Poverty hit 190 regencies: Minister<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
After 59 years of independence, poverty remains a major problem
\nin 190 regencies in the country, a minister says.<\/p>\n
In his first press conference since taking office on Oct. 21,
\nState Minister for the Development of Disadvantaged Regions
\nSaifullah Yusuf, however, did declare that the municipalities in
\nJakarta were the only regions where poverty was absent.<\/p>\n
He said the 190 regencies had been identified as areas that
\nwere facing high rates of illiteracy, economic disparity and
\nunemployment, as well as poor health and education services for
\nthe public.<\/p>\n
\"Most of people in these 190 regencies are living below the
\npoverty line and need breakthrough policies to develop their
\nareas,\" Saifullah said on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
He said his office's main program would be facilitating and
\nsupporting economic and community development in the regencies.<\/p>\n
The country has 445 regencies and municipalities.<\/p>\n
Among the underdeveloped regencies are Pacitan in East Java,
\nthe birth place of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, and most
\nof the areas that have been ravaged by conflict in recent years
\nsuch as Poso in Central Sulawesi, as well as most regencies in
\nMaluku and Aceh.<\/p>\n
Nine of the 190 regencies are categorized as the most
\ndisadvantaged, which are located in Papua, despite the fact that
\nthe province is extremely rich in natural resources, particularly
\ngold, forests, oil and gas.<\/p>\n
Saifullah said his office classified the 190 regencies as
\nunderdeveloped from their people's lack of access to health and
\neducation and low average income and the territories'
\nvulnerability to natural disasters.<\/p>\n
\"The disadvantaged areas are somewhat a result a geographical
\nfactors, which have isolated people, the low quality of human
\nresources, their lack of public facilities and access to natural
\nresources,\" the minister said.<\/p>\n
He said many of the governments of those regencies objected to
\nthe status. Therefore, Saifullah said he had given them two
\nmonths to prove to him that their jurisdictions were developing.<\/p>\n
\"I will be more than happy if more regencies can prove they
\nmust be excluded from the list. That's why I expect the regencies
\nto come and verify our data,\" he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/poverty-hit-190-regencies-minister-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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