Poverty Eradication

Lately a lot of debate about the poor category addressed to a person or group of people. Indeed, there is no fixed rule to assign a person or group as the poor. Therefore, not surprisingly, a lot of cross-category revenue of the person or group of persons who are considered poor.

As reported by the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) that poor people in Indonesia in 2009 reached 32.53 million (14:15%). While based on a World Bank report the number of poor people of Indonesia at over 100 million people or 42.6% of the total population of Indonesia reached 232.9 million in 2007 and 236.4 million in 2008.

Photo : Safari SidakatonThe discrepancies are caused by differences in methods used. World Bank makes the absolute poverty line of U.S. $ 1 and U.S. $ 2 PPP (purchasing power parity) per day (instead of the official exchange rate of U.S. $). Use of absolute poverty method aims to compare poverty across countries / regions and its development over time to assess the progress made in combating poverty at the global level / international.

Photo : Safari SidakatonWhile the BPS using the method of calculating the poverty line (GK), which consists of two components, namely Food Poverty Line (GKM) and Non-Food Poverty Line (GKNM). Calculation of Poverty Line done separately for urban and rural areas. The poor are the people who have an average monthly per capita expenditure below the poverty line.

According to Uzair Suhaimi, President Director of Social Security Statistics of BPS in journalist workshop 2010 held in Bandung, poor or not of a person depends on the way to see it, whether viewed in absolute poverty  or relative poverty. When viewed in absolute value then depends also the criteria used, whether the criteria monoter or non-monetary.

If it using monetary criteria, then the threshold also depends on  whether such basic needs  or daily living expenses. In fact, someone said to the poor if the condition is not capable of meeting their basic rights to maintain and develop a life of dignity.

Person's fundamental rights, among others, to fulfill the need of food, health, education, employment, housing, clean water, land, natural resources and environment, safety of treatment or threats of violence and to participate in socio-political life.

Then how to measure a person or group of persons classified as poor? According to Uzair, there is no way to measure poverty in a general sense, because poverty is a multi-dimensional. But for someone to be measured not so poor or poverty forced simplified, for example with regard only as a symptom of the economy or a symptom of the quality of human resources.

Uzair explained further, Connecticut defines poverty by calculating several types of popular and official poverty is economic poverty with basic needs approach. Poverty is seen as the inability of the economy to meet the basic needs of food and non makanan.Penduduk poor are residents who have an average per capita monthly expenditure below the poverty line (the rupiah to buy basic necessities.)

Size or poverty indicators by BPS there are three, namely the first through, the headcount index measures the percentage of poor population to total population. Second through, / Poverty Gap Index which is the average size of each expenditure gap of the poor against poverty line. The higher the index value, the more distant the average expenditure of population from the poverty line.

Third, Poverty Severity Index ie the higher the index value, the higher the expenditure inequality among the poor. The big difference in poverty rates released BPS and world bank are different, because different methods are also measured. If Connecticut calculate poverty from the poverty line with income per day USD 5066.57 while the World Bank measure of poverty lines based on the calculation of earnings per day USD 6481.30.

On this occasion, Uzair explained, for the alleviation of poverty required a strategy that is by improving socio-economic status, assistance and social protection, community empowerment, and empowerment of MSEs.

"There is a policy of Presidential Instruction on Disadvantaged Villages in  Soeharto era, and Suharto was able to reduce poverty because poverty is like slavery just not natural. Poverty is man-made and can be overcome by human action," he concluded.