Reduction of Poverty Rate Slow: Minister

Jakarta - The reduction of poverty rate in the country has been slow since 2010 because the poverty elimination programs are not effective, a minister said. "It is difficult to cut the poverty rate by one point because it only declines by 0.8 point," National Development Planning Minister Armida Alisjahbana told a working meeting which discussed economic outlook 2013 here on Monday. She said that the country's poverty rate by September 2012 was recorded at 11.66 percent, higher than the government's target at 10.5-11.5 percent. "There were still problems in the implementation of the programs," Armida said. For this, the minister said, the government would improve the effectiveness of the country's poverty elimination programs in 2013 by among others enhancing work opportunities and reduce the number of unemployment. The government will also increase the provision of small holder's credit (KUR), provide guidance on entrepreneurship and give access to information. The government assured it would prevent lays off and create new job opportunities. "In various simulations, work opportunities can be created for about 600,000 to 700,000 workers but the president wanted the creation of about one million job opportunities," she said. Armida said that the government had set a target of reducing the poverty rate to 9.5 - 10.5 percent and set aside a poverty elimination budget of Rp63.23 trillion in 2013. (*)