Social Affairs Minister, World Bank Discuss Poverty Alleviation Strategies

Jakarta, The Gulf Observer: Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf convened with World Bank Country Director for Indonesia and Timor-Leste Carolyn Turk to explore collaborative strategies aimed at alleviating poverty in Indonesia. The meeting highlighted the ministry’s ongoing initiatives and the potential for enhanced cooperation with the global financial institution.

“The Ministry of Social Affairs invites the World Bank to be involved in our priority work, for instance, in increasing the capacity of social assistants and empowering Beneficiary Families through care economic schemes,” Yusuf stated in a press release on Thursday, December 12.

During the discussion, Turk commended the Indonesian government’s efforts, particularly its development of a unified poverty alleviation data system. She emphasized the critical role of integrated data in ensuring effective and accurate distribution of assistance.

“Without having a strong integrated data system, we do not know how many types of assistance a family receives—whether one, two, three, or even none at all,” Turk remarked, highlighting the challenges and necessity of data integration.

The World Bank has been actively supporting the integration of various data streams currently being processed by Statistics Indonesia (BPS). Turk acknowledged the technical and political complexities of this task but stressed its importance in achieving effective poverty alleviation outcomes.

In addition, Turk lauded the collaboration among Indonesia’s ministries and institutions in advancing poverty reduction efforts. She expressed the World Bank’s support for the Ministry of Social Affairs’ empowerment programs, which focus on improving the self-sufficiency of beneficiary families.

World Bank Regional Director for Human Development Alberto Rodriguez echoed Turk’s sentiments, underlining the significance of creating a productive environment to help beneficiaries graduate from assistance programs and sustain their productivity.

“First, we want to ensure that beneficiaries can graduate and be productive. A productive environment must also be created to support productivity,” Rodriguez stated.

The meeting also delved into Indonesia’s lifelong protection scheme spearheaded by the Ministry of Social Affairs. The scheme includes provisions for maternity care for unborn children and extends support to the elderly, reflecting the government’s commitment to comprehensive social protection.

Both parties reaffirmed their shared commitment to poverty alleviation, emphasizing the importance of collaboration in achieving sustainable and inclusive development.