New scheme for poverty alleviation introduced

New scheme for poverty alleviation introduced

JAKARTA (JP): Twenty subdistricts in the capital will receive
a total of Rp 54 billion (US$5.6 million) in funding for poverty
alleviation and subdistrict development programs this year, an
official said over the weekend.

Secretary to the City Development Planning Board, Rohana
Manggala, said the funds would be disbursed once people submitted
program proposals, which is a new approach to the community-based
development program.

"We want to intensify the peoples' participation in the
program to avoid past mistakes. So, I call on the people of each
selected subdistrict to submit their programs," Rohana said.

"People will be involved in the decision-making process to
benefit from the program, such as for the improvement of the
sanitation system in their neighborhood," she added.

The selected subdistricts in West Jakarta are Cengkareng
Barat, Kedaung Kali Angke, Pegadungan, Palmerah, and Angke, while
in East Jakarta the subdistricts chosen are Bidara Cina, Bali
Mester, Cipinang, Kampung Tengah and Cililitan.

Mampang Prapatan, Cilandak Timur, Cilandak Barat, Cikoko, and
Karet Kuningan are the selected subdistricts of South Jakarta,
while Pademangan Barat, Rorotan, Sukapura, Sunter Jaya and Kebon
Bawang from North Jakarta will be involved.

Tanah Tinggi, Kemayoran, Petojo Utara, Kampung Rawa and
Menteng subdistricts in Central Jakarta are also included in the
program.

Rohana said the funding would be distributed directly to the
public through a private bank. Each subdistrict will receive Rp 2
billion, excluding the separate fees for local authorities.

"We are still formulating the technical procedures of the
program before it can be offered to the public," she said.

The official said that selection of the subdistricts was based
on data from the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS). Data
included demographic information such as the number of households
whose children had dropped out of schools.

Separately, Wardah Hafidz of the Urban Poor Consortium (UPC),
a non-government organization concerned with the living
conditions of the city's poor, said she was pessimistic that
funding would reach the eligible individuals or groups, citing
the rampant corruption practices among officials at subdistrict
administration offices.

"In the previous programs (such as the Social Security
Network, JPS), many officials (of subdistrict administration
offices) made up the proposals, which were not based on the needs
of their communities.

"Therefore, there must be a close monitoring mechanism on the
implementation of the program in the future," she said.

"Last year, such funds were distributed through sectoral
projects, coordinated by separate city agencies, which made it
difficult to monitor the progress of each community group," she
said.

About 15 subdistricts in the capital received a total of Rp
63.4 billion last year as part of an integrated project to reduce
poverty and develop slum areas.

The funds, which were allocated according to the differing
needs of the subdistricts, will be continued this year.

Rohana assured that none of the subdistricts would receive
more than one grant from the various financial programs.

The administration recorded that there were 977,400 people
living in poverty in the capital in 1999, while a figure for last
year will not be available until results of the 2000 National
Census are finalized. (07)