Poverty figures: We missed the point
Poor Indonesian poor! While they've long awaited for improvement, the country's leaders are bussy to counting their heads. Government claimed the number of people living below the poverty line has been declined, politicians & economists claimed the opposite. Both have missed the point.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said in his State of The Nation speech before Indonesian parliament on August 16 that the percentage of people living below the poverty line decreased significantly from 23.4% in 1999 to 16% in 2004.
Economists from Indonesia Bangkit Team (think tank) believe the president was wrong to quote the out of date data because there must be huge impact from the fuel price hike in October 2005.
Another think tank INDEF claimed the number should be 18.5% based on the survey from Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) in July 2005.
I think none of them could claim the right figures and both sides have missed the point. Instead of spending more energy in finding ways to eradicate poverty, the leaders waste the country's energy with this unproductive debate. There is never a single interpretation of data. A higher number of poverty means government failed and should be replaced (through general election). No government officer would dare to say that. By all means, people in power would try to make good impression from the statistics. Statistics are always been relative however perfect the method of survey being used. The poor need no statistics.
The poor need job, low cost education and healthcare system, affordable staple food, and better housing & environment. We'd better save our energy to meet these demands!
The poor await good news like lower tuition for their children (no robbery from teachers and headmasters), cheap healthcare costs (doctors and nurses will not squeeze their subsidized medicines), no more empty promises that disillutioned them in the past, etc.
READ MORE!!!
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said in his State of The Nation speech before Indonesian parliament on August 16 that the percentage of people living below the poverty line decreased significantly from 23.4% in 1999 to 16% in 2004.
Economists from Indonesia Bangkit Team (think tank) believe the president was wrong to quote the out of date data because there must be huge impact from the fuel price hike in October 2005.
Another think tank INDEF claimed the number should be 18.5% based on the survey from Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) in July 2005.
I think none of them could claim the right figures and both sides have missed the point. Instead of spending more energy in finding ways to eradicate poverty, the leaders waste the country's energy with this unproductive debate. There is never a single interpretation of data. A higher number of poverty means government failed and should be replaced (through general election). No government officer would dare to say that. By all means, people in power would try to make good impression from the statistics. Statistics are always been relative however perfect the method of survey being used. The poor need no statistics.
The poor need job, low cost education and healthcare system, affordable staple food, and better housing & environment. We'd better save our energy to meet these demands!
The poor await good news like lower tuition for their children (no robbery from teachers and headmasters), cheap healthcare costs (doctors and nurses will not squeeze their subsidized medicines), no more empty promises that disillutioned them in the past, etc.
READ MORE!!!
posted by yosef at 5:18 AM
4 Comments:
I think they’re not missed the point. But you did.
The debate was not about data interpretation and survey methodology. Its about government lying in statistics. They missed identifying and explaining current condition of the economy, which is an important stage of problem solving.
Its true the poor need no statistics, but without the right statistics, how can never solve their problem, right?
I think they’re not missed the point. But you did.
The debate was not about data interpretation and survey methodology. Its about government lying in statistics. They missed identifying and explaining current condition of the economy, which is an important stage of problem solving.
Its true the poor need no statistics, but without the right statistics, how can Govt solve their problem? Right?
Statistic should be comparable, last year methodology and criteria should be the same as this year, so it can be compared apple to apple...
By quoting last year data, SBY has manipulated his government performance, just like CEO and CFO manipulated information in their financial statement which lead to collapse of Enron, Worldcom, etc...
So this is critical and we should concern about it.
I think the -7.4% died from starvation.
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