Poverty hit 190 regencies: Minister

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

After 59 years of independence, poverty remains a major problem in 190 regencies in the country, a minister says.

In his first press conference since taking office on Oct. 21, State Minister for the Development of Disadvantaged Regions Saifullah Yusuf, however, did declare that the municipalities in Jakarta were the only regions where poverty was absent.

He said the 190 regencies had been identified as areas that were facing high rates of illiteracy, economic disparity and unemployment, as well as poor health and education services for the public.

"Most of people in these 190 regencies are living below the poverty line and need breakthrough policies to develop their areas," Saifullah said on Tuesday.

He said his office's main program would be facilitating and supporting economic and community development in the regencies.

The country has 445 regencies and municipalities.

Among the underdeveloped regencies are Pacitan in East Java, the birth place of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, and most of the areas that have been ravaged by conflict in recent years such as Poso in Central Sulawesi, as well as most regencies in Maluku and Aceh.

Nine of the 190 regencies are categorized as the most disadvantaged, which are located in Papua, despite the fact that the province is extremely rich in natural resources, particularly gold, forests, oil and gas.

Saifullah said his office classified the 190 regencies as underdeveloped from their people's lack of access to health and education and low average income and the territories' vulnerability to natural disasters.

"The disadvantaged areas are somewhat a result a geographical factors, which have isolated people, the low quality of human resources, their lack of public facilities and access to natural resources," the minister said.

He said many of the governments of those regencies objected to the status. Therefore, Saifullah said he had given them two months to prove to him that their jurisdictions were developing.

"I will be more than happy if more regencies can prove they must be excluded from the list. That's why I expect the regencies to come and verify our data," he said.