Poverty hit 190 regencies: Minister

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.