In essence, (we should think of) how to ensure that the social assistance will reach the targeted recipients and will be used properlyJakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia's poverty rate can be curbed if the poverty eradication program is focused on the country's most populated island of Java, according to Chief of the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) Margo Yuwono.
"Java has a very large population," Yuwono noted in a press statement on Tuesday.
The BPS reported that the country's poverty rate had reached 10.4 percent in March 2021, with 27.54 million out of the country's population of 270 million living in poverty.
Yuwono highlighted that in order to reduce the poverty rate, all related authorities should focus attention on factors, such as controlling prices, providing social assistance to vulnerable people, and boosting the public's income through various stimuli.
The social protection program launched by the government in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic can contribute to lowering the poverty rate in due course of time, the BPS chief noted.
"In essence, (we should think of) how to ensure that the social assistance will reach the targeted recipients and will be used properly," he emphasized.
The BPS announced earlier that the number of Indonesians living in poverty had fallen by 0.01 million to reach 27.54 million in March 2021, from 27.55 million in September 2020, as several economic sectors recovered.
Accordingly, the poverty rate dropped to 10.14 percent in March 2021, from 10.19 percent in September 2020, the BPS chief noted at an online press conference in Jakarta last Thursday.
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However, as compared to March 2020, the number of poor increased by 1.12 million in March 2021, he stated.
The number of poor in urban areas rose by 138.1 thousand to reach 12.18 million in March 2021, from 12.04 million in September 2020, Yuwono pointed out.
Consequently, the poverty rate in urban areas increased by 0.01 percent to reach 7.89 percent in March 2021, from 7.88 percent in September 2020, he noted.
In contrast, the number of poor in rural areas fell by 145 thousand to reach 15.37 million in March 2021, from 15.51 million in September 2020, Yuwono stated.
Thus, the poverty rate in rural areas declined by 0.10 percent to reach 13.10 percent in March 2021, from 13.2 percent in September 2020, he noted.
The BPS chief attributed the drop in the number of poor people in rural areas to the success of various development programs, including village fund disbursement.
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Translator: Andi Firdaus, Suharto
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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