Why Problem of Poverty in Indonesia Becoming Sustainable?

SINCE the beginning of independence, Indonesia has had great attention to the creation of a just and prosperous society as stated in the fourth paragraph of the Constitution of 1945. Development programs implemented during these also always give great attention to the fight against poverty because development is basically done to improve the welfare of the community. Nevertheless, the problem of poverty to this day continue to be a prolonged problem.
IN general, the participant parties Elections (Elections) 2004 also include poverty alleviation programs as major programs in their platform. In the New Order period, despite relatively high economic growth, namely an average of 7.5 percent during the years 1970-1996, the poor in Indonesia remains high. Based on data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), the percentage of poor people in Indonesia in 1996 is still very high, amounting to 17.5 percent or 34.5 million people. This is contrary to the view of many economists who claim that high economic growth to increase incomes and ultimately reduce poverty.
Government attention to poverty reduction in government much bigger reforms after the economic crisis in mid-1997. Nevertheless, based on the calculation of BPS, the percentage of poor people in Indonesia until the year 2003 still remains high, at 17.4 percent, with a population larger, ie 37.4 million people.
In fact, according to figures the National Family Planning Coordinating Board (BKKBN) in 2001, the percentage of poor families (families and prosperous Pre-I) in 2001 reached 52.07 percent, or more than half the number of families in Indonesia. These figures indicate that poverty reduction programs has not yet managed to overcome the problem of poverty in Indonesia. Cause of failure
Basically there are two important factors that could cause the failure of poverty reduction programs in Indonesia. First, poverty reduction programs so far tended to focus on the distribution of social assistance for people miskin.Hal that, among other things, the form of rice to the poor and the social safety net (JPS) for the poor. Efforts like this will be difficult to solve the problem of poverty that exist because of the nature of assistance is not to empowerment, it can even lead to dependence.
Aid programs oriented generosity of this government can actually worsen the morale and behavior of the poor. Assistance program for poor people should be more focused to grow the culture of economically productive and able to relieve dependence on permanent residents. On the other hand, social assistance programs can also cause corruption in the distribution.
It would be better if the grants are directly used to improve the quality of human resources (HR), such as the release of school fees, such as primary school (SD) and junior high school (SMP), as well as the release of the costs of treatment at public health centers (Puskesmas).
The second factor that could lead to the failure of poverty reduction programs is a lack of understanding of the various parties about the causes of poverty itself so that development programs are not based on issues of poverty, which causes vary locally.
As known, data and information used for poverty reduction programs has been the result of the macro data of the National Economic and Social Survey (SUSENAS) by BPS and micro data results Pre-registration and prosperous family I by BKKBN.
Both these data are basically intended for the benefit of a centralized national planning, with an emphasis on uniformity assumption and focus on impact indicators. In fact, data and information like this will not reflect the diversity and complexity that exists in Indonesia as a big country that covers many areas that are very different, both in terms of ecology, social organization, cultural properties, as well as prevailing economic forms locally.
It could happen that the poverty figures are not realistic for local interests, and can even confuse the local leaders (government district). An example is the case in East Sumba. East Sumba regency government had difficulty in distributing rice to the poor because of two very different poverty rates between the BPS and the BKKBN at that time.
On the one hand, the poverty rate in East Sumba produced by BPS in 1999 was 27 percent, while the poverty rate (Pre and prosperous family I) which produced the BKKBN in the same year reached 84 percent. Both figures are quite difficult for the government to deliver these benefits because the data used to target households is the BKKBN data, while the allocation of aid based on the number of BPS.
Conceptually, the macro data, calculated by CPM during the basic needs approach (basic needs approach) is essentially (though not perfect) can be used to monitor progress as well as poor inter-regional comparisons. However, the macro data has limitations because only a indicator of the impact that can be used to target geographically, but can not be used to target individual households or poor families. To target poor households, micro data is needed to explain the causes of poverty locally, not in the aggregate, such as via the econometric models.
For micro data, some government agencies have attempted to collect data on poor households or families in full, including Pre and prosperous family data I by BKKBN and data on poor households by the Provincial Government of DKI Jakarta, South Kalimantan Provincial Government, the Provincial Government of East Java . However, the resulting indicators are still limited to the identification of households. In addition, besides the indicators can not explain the causes of poverty, also continues to be centralized and uniform-not developed from the grass roots and do not necessarily represent the unity of the social system that site-specific.
Strategy forward
In connection with the implementation of regional autonomy since 2001, data and information poverty that exist now need further scrutiny, particularly against its benefits to local planning.
Strategies to address the poverty crisis can no longer be seen from one dimension only (the economic approach), but it requires a complete diagnosis and comprehensive (systemic) on all aspects of the causes of poverty locally.
Data and information are accurate and appropriate poverty target is needed to ensure successful implementation and achievement of goals or objectives of poverty reduction policies and programs, both at the national level, district level, as well as at community level.
The main problems that arise in connection with micro data today is, in addition to the data is not necessarily relevant to the area or community, such data can only be used as an indicator of the impact and not include indicators that can explain the root causes of poverty in a region or community .
In the process of decision-making necessary to a realistic indicators that can be translated into the various policies and programs that need to be implemented to reduce poverty. Indicators should be sensitive to the phenomena of poverty or welfare of individuals, families, social units larger, and the region.
Scientific studies of various phenomena associated with poverty, such as the causes of poverty or impoverishment processes and indicators in understanding the symptoms of poverty and the consequences of poverty itself, needs to be done. Therefore, local governments with the help of the researchers need to develop their own poverty monitoring system in the region, especially in the era of regional autonomy. The researchers are not only limited to the discipline of economics, but also the disciplines of sociology, the science of anthropology, and others.
Inadequate
Measures of poverty that is designed in the center is not fully adequate in poverty alleviation efforts in operational in the region. Instead, the information generated from these centers to make the policy wrong direction because the data is not able to identify poverty is actually happening at the local level are smaller. Therefore, in addition to the necessary macro poverty data in national statistical systems, have also obtained data on poverty (micro) region specific. However, the statistics gathered locally needs to be integrated with the national statistical system so that comparability between regions, especially antarkabupaten and provincial comparability can be maintained.
In building an information management system that is useful for the welfare of local development policy, needs commitment from local government in providing funds on an ongoing basis. With the existence of regional funds for data management and information poverty, local governments are expected to reduce the wastage of funds in development as a result of misguided policies, and otherwise help to accelerate the development process through policies and programs that are more appropriate in development.
Gains derived from the availability of data and statistical information that could be far greater even than the cost needed for the activities of collection of such data. In addition, the need for coordination and cooperation between the parties concerned (stakeholders), both locally and nationally or internationally, for channeling funds and assistance provided to poor people on target and do not overlap.
The availability of information is not always going to assist in decision making when decision makers lack an understanding of the meaning or significance of the information. This can be caused by a lack of technical capability of local leaders in the use of information for management. As a form of utilization of information for decision-making process in relation to development in the area, it is proposed to be empowering local governments, related institutions, universities and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in using information for policy programs.
This activity is intended for decision makers, both local governments, related government agencies, universities, and NGOs, can dig right information and use it appropriately to create policies and implement development programs as appropriate.
Local governments need to develop information management systems that produce all forms of information for policy development and implementation of appropriate development programs. Need to formation of a technical team to advise and see the development of system-specific information management area. Establishment of technical team is expected to include local government and related institutions, college parties, and local and national researchers, in order to continuously develop the information management system specific regions.
In this regard, be aware that although data collection system requirements that are designed, administered, analyzed, and funded the center is still important and need to be maintained, it is time also developed data collection mechanisms for the needs of communities and districts.
This data collection mechanism must be low cost, sustainable, reliable, and able to quickly reflect the diversity of patterns of economic growth and socio-cultural movements between rural and urban communities, as well as an increased ecological compromise.