Infrastructure Investment Supports Poverty Reduction

INDUSTRY.co.id - Jakarta - The Ministry of National Development Planning / National Development Planning Agency (PPN / Bappenas) said that investment in infrastructure has a double impact on poverty alleviation in Indonesia.

Director of Private-Government Cooperation to Build Ministry of PPN / Bappenas Sri Bagus Guritno in the "sound sounding" project of the development of RSUD Dr. Hasri Ainun Habibi Gorontalo in Jakarta, Wednesday (18/7/2018), said that infrastructure access provided by the government will give opportunities for people to work and earn a decent living.

"The government provides access such as road construction, health, drinking water, and street lighting will allow people to work longer hours or instead open businesses," he said.

The indirect impact of infrastructure development is, according to Bagus, who participates in reducing the poverty level.

Equity of the people through the opening of employment also contributes to the suppression of poverty.

Nevertheless, the Vice Minister / Head of Bappenas Bambang Brodjonegoro said one of the keys to poverty reduction, which for the first time touched a figure below 10 percent, was due to the smooth distribution of social assistance (bansos) in the first quarter of 2018.

Bambang said, the government learned from the first quarter of last year where the absolute number of poor people had risen in March 2017, despite the percentage of poverty down. At that time the government identified the delay in the distribution of social assistance as the cause.

Bansos, continued Bambang, is limited to Family Hope Program (PKH), Beras Sejahtera (Rastra), and Non-Cash Food Assistance (BPNT), Healthy Indonesia Card (KIS) and Smart Card Indonesia (KIP).

Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) noted, in March 2018, the number of poor people or the population with per capita per month expenditure below the Poverty Line in Indonesia reached 25.95 million people or 9.82 percent, decreased by 633.2 thousand people compared with the condition of September 2017 which amounted to 26.58 million people or 10.12 percent.

Meanwhile, compared to March of the previous year, the number of poor people declined by 1.82 million During the period September 2017-March 2018, the number of poor people in urban areas fell by 128.2 thousand people, from 10.27 million people in September 2017 to 10.14 million people in March 2018.

Meanwhile, in rural areas dropped by 505 thousand people, from 16.31 million people in September 2017 to 15.81 million people in March 2018. (Ant)