"We push for poverty reduction in Region 2 filled with the majority of Indonesia's population. If we can suppress the extreme poverty rate in Region 2, we are confident it will be close to 0.5 percent," Deputy I of the ministry Nunung Nuryartono remarked on Wednesday.
Nuryartono made this statement at the coordination meeting held at his office on Wednesday to accelerate the eradication of extreme poverty.
He noted that the extreme poverty rate in Region 2 is currently below 1 percent, with the national average being 0.83 percent.
According to the ministry's deputy, regional governments in Region 2 are considered capable of reducing the extreme poverty rate through several steps, including optimizing empowerment to increase community income.
Hence, he is upbeat that the extreme poverty rate in Region 2 can reach 0.5 percent by the end of this year.
"Furthermore, the region had also carried out data verification. It is important for us for accurate targeting," he noted.
However, Nuryartono did not specify which provinces have recorded high extreme poverty rates. He only drew attention to several provinces with extreme poverty rates below the national average.
"Regions, such as Riau Islands, had been able to manage the extreme poverty rate at 0.3 percent followed by DKI Jakarta and West Java with around 0.8 percent. Those regions had contributed to the overall reduction in extreme poverty rates," he remarked.
Earlier, President Joko Widodo announced that the poverty rate in Indonesia had decreased, with extreme poverty dropping significantly to 0.83 percent and the poverty rate dipping to 9.03 percent this year.
Moreover, the indicators of public welfare have also increased significantly, with the unemployment rate falling to 4.8 percent in 2024, he added.
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Translator: Asep Firmansyah, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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