ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY

ARNEL AZISTYA RAZAK/185110500111027

Poverty Controversy in Indonesia

Indonesia is a country with abundant natural resources. However, as with other

developing countries, Indonesia still has a lump of problems which are obstacles to the
progress of this country, one of which is poverty. Poverty is a condition where there is an
inability to meet basic needs such as food, clothing, shelter, education, and health. Poverty
can be caused by the scarcity of means of meeting basic needs or the difficulty of access to
education and employment. In Indonesia, poverty problems like the end are still not found
many beggars and homeless people roam not only in the countryside but even in big cities
like Jakarta, even a view like this be a spectacle every day. The problem of poverty that
occurs in Indonesia is a complex and global problem that often occurs in every developing
country.

Currently in Indonesia is ensnared with poverty that is always there and still cannot be
resolved by the government. According to data on the number of poverty in Indonesia in
March 2009 alone it reached 32.53 million or 14.15 percent (www.bps.go.id). Poverty in
Indonesia is not merely an economic problem but cultural and structural poverty in
Indonesian society. Someone once said that generally the instruments used to determine
whether a person or group of people in the community are poor or cannot be monitored using
a measure of increasing income or the level of consumption of a person or group of people.
Though the nature of poverty can be seen from various factors. Is it socio-cultural, economic,
political, and legal (Hari Susanto, 2006). Poverty is not only related to the economic
dimension but also other dimensions such as food rights, housing, health, education,
employment, and others.

In Indonesia the survey that is commonly used in measuring the national poverty line
is the main data source derived from the National Socio-Economic Survey or the
Consumption and Expenditure Module. This measurement uses the ability approach to meet
basic needs (basic needs approach), both in the form of food and non-food in terms of
expenditure, even though the survey with this method is ineffective and less accurate. This
was also said by M. Ravallion (1998) "Measurement of poverty is often indeed controversial
because it uses surveys in its calculations. Indeed, surveys cannot provide complete data,
such as the names and addresses of the poor, the results can only be used as a basis for policy
making and measuring the success or failure of a program." So the surveillance method is
less effective.

Poverty reduction strategies implemented in a budget by the government to reduce

poverty can be quite successful. However, the success of the implementation of poverty
alleviation programs in Indonesia so far has only been seen from the achievement of
performance targets or aggregate poverty figures that have decreased every year. Someone
also stated that "performance-based budget accountability in poverty reduction can be seen in
the determination and implementation of programs, rules that are in accordance with
processes and procedures, and finally the results achieved." Radin (2006).

The conclusion is that poverty is related to the situation of "powerlessness" which

results in the inability or powerlessness of people or groups of people to protect themselves,
so that they are vulnerable to shocks, violence and crime. Tackling and reducing the
increasingly widespread poverty in national life today is one of the basic problems in the
development of community welfare which is very important and must be addressed as soon
as possible by the government. Tackling the problem of poverty requires the right strategy.
What the government might be able to do is adjust and adapt the design of poverty alleviation
strategies that are currently running correctly and appropriately.

References :

Wasi'atur Rohmah (2016) KEMISKINAN DI INDONESIA Retrived

http://wasiaturrohmah.blogspot.com/2016/10/kemiskinan-di-indonesia.html at 8.15 am

Boanerges Falakhi (n.d) Merajalelanya Kemiskinan di Indonesia Retrived

https://www.payungmerah.com/merajalelanya-kemiskinan-di-indonesia/ at 9.22 am

Zainab Said (2020) Masalah Kronis Kemiskinan di Indonesia Retrived

https://www.mediasulsel.com/masalah-kronis-kemiskinan-di-indonesia/ at 3.48 pm

BPS WEB (n.d) https://www.bps.go.id/subject/23/kemiskinan-dan-ketimpangan.html at 6.37

pm