17 percent of people live in poverty

YOGYAKARTA: About 17 percent of the country's 215 million people were still living below the poverty line, a government official said on Tuesday.

Coordinating Ministry of People's Welfare deputy of poverty eradication Djoharis Lubis said efforts to eliminate poverty had been hampered by problems caused by regional autonomy and globalization.

"It is our nation's obligation to draft a long-term poverty eradication strategy," Djoharis was quoted by Antara as saying.

Indonesia was able to cut the rate of poor people from 40.1 percent in 1976 to 11.3 percent by 1996. People living under poverty line are those who earn less than US$2 a day, according to UN definition.

"The monetary crisis that has plagued the country since 1997 had increased the number of people living in poverty to 17.42 percent," Djoharis said. -- Antara