RI lowered poverty rate in 2011, govt says
Coordinating Public Welfare Minister Agung Laksono says that Indonesia experienced a decline in poverty rate in the year 2011.
“There has been a decline in the poverty rate. In March 2011, it was recorded that the poverty rate reached 12.49 percent, but it decreased to 12.36 percent in September 2011,” he said Wednesday, as quoted by tempo.co.
He said that the ministry had targeted a one percent decrease in the country’s poverty rate for every coming year.
“We predict that it (the poverty rate) will be around 8-10 percent by 2014,” he said.
According to Agung, the feat was not only down to the country’s economic growth, but was also a result of the government’s efforts in reducing food imports.
He said that the government would keep making efforts to reduce imports of foodstuff that could be produced domestically, such as wheat, soybeans and salt. (awd)
