VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Minister of Administrative Reform and Bureaucratic Reform (PANRB) Abdullah Azwar Anas launched the Poverty Reduction Thematic Bureaucratic Reform program. This program was launched at Gadjah Mada University (UGM), Yogyakarta, Friday (21/10/2022).

The Poverty Reduction Thematic Bureaucratic Reform Program is designed to strengthen bureaucratic governance in order to accelerate poverty alleviation. Nine local governments became pilot projects for the implementation of this program in the first phase, and 23 local governments in the second phase.

“Poverty alleviation is President Jokowi's priority program. That's why we created a poverty thematic program," said Anas, as a press statement received by rri.co.id from the Public Relations of the PANRB Ministry.

That way, he continued, the PANRB Ministry will strengthen the governance of the government bureaucracy. "So it's not about the poverty program, because when it comes to programs, it certainly depends on regional characteristics," he said.

Anas said that the Poverty Reduction Thematic program would intervene and improve the governance of poverty alleviation through improving business processes. The program is also expected to improve policies, to program reformulation, so that it is more targeted.

He explained that there are a number of challenges in alleviating poverty. For example, the poverty reduction target is at the level of 7 percent in 2024, and the extreme poverty target is 0 percent in 2024.

"The implementation of the Thematic Poverty Reduction program is part of the government's efforts to accelerate poverty reduction," he said. "Parallelly in the implementation of the first and second phase of the pilot project, we will replicate it to the regions."

Anas said, the PANRB Ministry is preparing a regional bureaucratic reform index focusing on poverty alleviation. "The area is cool with bureaucratic governance in poverty alleviation, of course the performance allowance (tukin) can be more tolerable than other regions," he said.

He added that the key to the success of implementing the Thematic RB for Poverty Reduction is a shared commitment and willingness to collaborate. All pilot project areas must also prepare an action plan with all relevant parties.

UGM Chancellor Prof. Ova Emilia hopes that the bureaucracy is not just a technical instrument, or a mechanical implementing machine. However, it becomes a reflection of a structuring of ways of thinking and habitus of acting.

“So at this point, the bureaucracy gives the spirit in the sustainability of the governance system. This includes poverty alleviation,” said Ova.

From a philosophical point of view, the Governor of Yogyakarta, Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X, emphasized that poverty needs to be seen not only from an economic point of view. "But it must be moderated through character education," said Sri Sultan. (RRI)