Poverty lingers in East Kalimantan

Poverty lingers in East Kalimantan

Rusman, The Jakarta Post, Samarinda

In spite of the unbearable heat, Hasan, 46, works with
determination, picking up plastic bottles, cans and scrap metal
strewn across a vacant lot behind Sempaja Sports Complex in
Samarinda.

"I earn Rp 5,000 a day scavenging. It is enough for our daily
food, but certainly not enough to cover my child's school fees,"
said Hasan, the father of a 12-year-old boy, Hardian, who has
already dropped out of school. His wife, Hasnah, 44, collects and
sells kangkung, a leafy vegetable that grows in water.

The family live in a wooden 4.4 meter square hut in
Samarinda's Ulu area. Inside there is little else but a gas
stove, an old radio and a mat that serves as their bed.

It is small compensation that when they move in a week's time
-- at the landowner's demand -- there will not be much to pack
up. He gave no clear reason for their eviction.

"I beg the government for help, but I don't have much faith
that anyone will step in," said Hasan.

Though East Kalimantan is rich in natural resources, many of
its people live in poverty.

Meanwhile, the East Kalimantan government is seemingly focused
on other things, such as the construction of the Sempaja Sports
Complex and Madya Sports Stadium, which together cost the
province some Rp 900 billion.

The province has also bought five GA8 Airvan airplanes from
Australia at a total cost of Rp 27.5 billion. Another project
that raised eyebrows was the construction of the East Kalimantan
governor's residence, which cost the province Rp 71.1 billion.

The province's budget is larger than most other province's due
to its natural resource production. It produced 50.4 million tons
of coal, 14.4 tons of gold and 10.7 tons of silver in 2003.
Natural gas and oil production reached 1.7 billion cubic meters
and 79.7 million barrels respectively in the same year.

Last year, the provincial budget was Rp 2.9 trillion and this
year's budget slightly decreased to Rp 2.65 trillion.

However, the sizable budget is apparently of little benefit to
the poor. Last year, according to government figures, poor people
in the province reached 330,147 people of the total population of
2.7 million. Of 2,094 schools in the province, 628 have
reportedly fallen into disrepair.

Nusyirwan Ismail, assistant to the governor for development
and welfare, agreed that poverty was widespread in the province,
but blamed the problem on migrants. The migrants, many of whom
are unskilled workers, set out to try their luck in the resource-
rich province, but many ended up jobless.

Some were initially employed, but a slump in the economy
forced some companies to shut down operations, particularly
timber companies.

"No wonder that the number of poor people is on the rise,"
said Nusyirwan.

Nusyirwan said the provincial government would be focusing on
improving the quality of human resources to reduce the
unemployment rate.