This paper appeared on Strategic Review
By: Vivi Alatas, the World Bank’s Senior Economist and Poverty Team Leader in Jakarta
It is now time for Indonesia to take a wider view of what poverty reduction means. The fluidity of poverty underlines the importance of identifying the right blend of policies for Indonesia. “Promotion” policies are needed to help families that are chronically under the poverty line to build better lives for themselves and safeguard future generations from destitution. At the same time, “protection” policies are needed to provide a safety net to catch vulnerable households at risk of falling back into poverty. With the big bang of decentralization, there is also a need to ensure that local governments strive to find local solutions to fight poverty and vulnerability in their regions
