Ranks of the poor hit 49.5 million

JAKARTA (JP): The number of poor in the country increased by almost 100 percent to 49.5 million in 1998 from 22.6 million in 1997, the government said, blaming the prolonged economic crisis.

A. Mongid, an assistant to the coordinating minister for people's welfare and poverty eradication, said according to the newest survey conducted by the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS), the number of poor reached more than 49.5 million.

The national survey was conducted in 1998 but its results will only be announced to the public in the near future.

Mongid said the number of poor decreased to 22.5 million in 1996 from 25.9 million in 1993.

He said according to the survey, the most affected by the crisis were inhabitants of slums in urban centers and those living in thousands of underdeveloped villages and fishing communities on coastal areas.

"The government is designing short-term and crash programs to empower the poor so they can survive the crisis," he said after a coordination meeting presided over by Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare and Poverty Eradication Hayono Suyono on Thursday.

Also attending the meeting were Coordinating Minister for Political Affairs and Security Feisal Tanjung and 18 ministers.

Mongid said the meeting's results would be brought to the governors meeting on Friday so appropriate measures could be prepared.

Results of the governors meeting will be brought to the Cabinet meeting scheduled for July 14.

Suyono said after the coordination meeting, the government was designing a crash program to empower 1.5 million poor families living in slum areas in 20 provinces.

"This program will absorb between Rp 3 trillion and Rp 5 trillion," he said, citing that Rp 1 trillion was provided by the Ministry of Public Works. (rms)