Central Sulawesi joins in poverty alleviation program

Ruslan Sangadji, The Jakarta Post, Palu
February 21, 2006

Central Sulawesi has been appointed as one of the provinces in Indonesia that will participate in the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) pilot project on poverty alleviation, after the government declared the province to be prone to poverty.

Three other provinces taking part in the MDG pilot project, sponsored by the United Nations Development Program and the Office of the Coordinating Minister for Public Welfare, are Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, Maluku and Papua.

"The appointment (of Central Sulawesi) is based on the fact that the province is a former conflict area, the impacts of which have increased poverty," Central Sulawesi MDG regional facilitator Christian Tindjabate told The Jakarta Post.

Tindjabate, a lecturer in postgraduate studies at Tadulako University in Central Sulawesi's capital Palu, explained that poverty in Poso, where the conflict erupted, was not only the result of the burning and looting of people's property, but also due to widespread corruption in the province.

"Whether you agree or not, the embezzlement of Poso relief funds is one of the reasons for poverty in Poso," he said.

Of the total population of 2.32 million in Central Sulawesi in 2004, 486,300 people -- or 21.6 percent -- were classified at or below the poverty line. They lived mostly in Poso and Buol regencies. Poverty in Poso is a consequence of the conflict, while in Buol it is due mainly to cultural factors.

Central Sulawesi has abundant natural resources, but its people remain poor due to ineffective policies issued by political players, coupled with corruption.

Tindjabate explained that poverty alleviation programs initiated by development planners had failed to address the substance of the problems, as they had perceived poverty as being purely an economic problem. "It's like adding salt to seawater," he said.

He said sectoral fanaticism among government agencies handling poverty alleviation programs had further hindered coordination, thereby hindering the process of fighting poverty.

One of the methods to be implemented in the MDG poverty alleviation project is to define the job descriptions of stakeholders -- such as the government, NGOs, religious figures, businesses and the poor -- through the Regional Poverty Alleviation Strategy.

"Without an improved system, I'm sure that no matter how much money is allocated by the government to mitigate the problem, it will still be ineffective," said Tindjabate.

According to Tindjabate, this is a critical problem that has to be followed up by the government and legislature, and the 2006 provincial budget has to be formulated to favor the poor.

Last year's budget allocation for poverty alleviation was barely noticeable, since 70 percent of it was used for government expenditures and only 30 percent for the public.

Tindjabate hopes the Central Sulawesi administration will issue a new policy for drafting a special budget to help alleviate poverty in the province this year.***