Poverty eradication efforts

Poverty eradication efforts

The number of poor Indonesians has been declining each year.
The Central Bureau of Statistics, using the 1996 National Social-
Economic Survey as a reference, has estimated that the number of
poor people in Indonesia is currently 22.5 million, which is 11.3
percent of the country's population. Of this, 12.8 million live
on the islands of Java and Bali.

This declining trend notwithstanding, and despite the fact
there is some uncertainty regarding the results of our efforts to
elevate the position of the poor in Indonesia, our poverty
eradication drive should be continued and given a
multidimensional scope. Government agencies, private business and
individual citizens should all be involved.

The government should also make use of taxes and subsidies as
instruments for the redistribution of income and the eradication
of poverty. In addition, fairer access to information should be
attained while linkages between certain economic performers and
the government should be reduced.

-- Bisnis Indonesia, Jakarta