Up to 31.2 million of Indonesian people classified as poor

Poor community: JP/R. Berto Wedhatama

Social Services Minister Salim Segaf Al-Jufri said Wednesday that about 31.2 million or 13.33 percent of Indonesia's total population were classified in the poverty category.

“The number has fallen slightly from 32.5 million people recorded last year,” Salim said as quoted by the Antara news agency in Pesawaran regency, Lampung.
 
He explained that in order to help alleviate poverty, there had been 19 institutions involved here, including the Social Services Ministry.

Low-income families are usually classified into three – those above, on and under the poverty line, he said. “Based on the calculation of the Central Statistics Agency, individuals classified as living in poverty are those with incomes reaching only Rp 7,000 [about 70 US cents] per day or Rp 200,000 per month,” he said.

Poverty alleviation uses three techniques: One through the provision of assistance to the disabled and senior citizens, two through the provision of funds for those aged between 15 and 55 to help increase income and third through guidance to low-income families to change their mindset about poverty, Salim said.

“Under such guidance low-income people are briefed that poverty can be changed. Assistance given to people in this category is expected to enable them to improve their welfare,” he added.