"The last data in 2023 (shows) that the extreme poverty decreased to 0.8 percent in the last 10 years," he said at the Presidential Palace here on Tuesday.
He said his side is still waiting for the result of the extreme poverty rate survey in September 2024, that will potentially decrease further.
"We are waiting for the survey result this September. It can be lower than 0.8 percent," the minister said.
He also mentioned the decrease in the number of middle class population to aspiring middle class.
"According to Statistics Indonesia (BPS), the middle class is decreasing.It is predicted to downgrade to aspiring middle class," he said.
Despite the figure showing a challenge in the economic recovery, he pointed out that the poverty handling shows a positive trend. The total poverty rate fell from 9.8 percent to 9.03 percent.
He added that the government's strategies in tackling extreme poverty have been proven effective though challenges remain in efforts to shifting aspiring middle class back to middle class.
"This means that we are handling poverty and extreme poverty really well because we can hold off the declining middle class," he said.
With appropriate policy and intervention, he said he is optimistic that Indonesia can achieve more in the handling of poverty.
Earlier, Minister Muhadjir Effendy also stated that the government continues to seek solutions to the issue of the shrinking middle-class population, including the provision of social protection such as health care and employment.
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Translator: Andi F, Kenzu
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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