Poor People are not Merely Figures

From Wahyu Susilo

Poverty statistical figures' debate

Although there are two parties debating over the similar issue of poverty rate figure, but both parties positioned their analysis on similar measure, i.e. quantitative statistical analysis. The growth of economics science indeed escalated leaving the other branches of social sciences behind when mathematical analysis (econometrics) became the backbone of economics science. Nevertheless, the economics science also leaves its aspect of "humanity" when the basic needs of human life and death are only actualized in "numbers".

Quite regretfully when the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), that became the global commitment for poverty eradication in the early twentieth century millennium, there were more people using quantitative indicators in the elaboration of their objectives and targets. This is one of the MDGs' weaknesses when they are used as advocacy tools in demanding the promise and commitment of countries signing the global pact. In the two presentations of MDGs' progress report in Indonesia in 2004 and 2005, the progress reports were also full with cold and rigid statistical figures, without any qualitative explanations which were able to talk more.

In such situation, the NGO's activists develop social analysis to identify the core problems of poverty through participatory poverty assessment (PPA) method. The method intends to bring back the nature of poverty analysis which actually is based on the real needs of the poor people. Thus the output of the analysis is qualitative narrations which are uncommonly used by our techno-economist dominating the macro-economy policy planning.

The qualitative narrations can be the guidelines in formulating poverty eradication policy. The only poverty eradication policy ever formulated using the method was the National Strategy for Poverty Eradication which was adopted as Chapter 16 of the Peraturan Presiden (Presidential Regulations) No.7/2005 on Medium Term National Development Plan/Rencana Pembangunan Jangka Menengah Nasional year 2004-2009. Unfortunately, the document was not used as road map in poverty eradication. The document became meaningless when the country (in this case, conspiracy between the executive and legislative) produced macro-economy policy legislation that was oriented to the market and investment, in accordance to the recommendations of multilateral institutions and donors who were the sources for development funding debts.

Insensitive Policy

When poverty is being debated solely in statistical figures, tables or graphics, there will not be any full and total comprehension on poverty that has been genuinely felt and experienced by the people of Indonesia. And the debate would only produce insensitive policy for it was formulated without any total and full comprehension and direct involvement on the reality of poverty. The Regional Regulation on Public Order that is put in effect in DKI Jakarta is the actual example of policy that was made without any feelings and full and total comprehension.

Almost always there were denials from the reigning authorities when the media or NGOs launched the reality of poverty (for instance death caused by malnourishment /malnutrition) experienced by the poor community in a region. The denials could be done by minimizing/shrinking the data by stating the numbers of the dead/famine victims/malnutrition case was still in small percentage. Other form of denial was by ignoring the data, often even warded off by stating that the people experiencing death/malnutrition/hunger were not the people of that area (the immigrants). Those various denials indicate there was indeed an understanding that the poor was needed to be sacrificed by those wealthy people.

The poor as "criminals"

Apart from merely being "numbers", the poor people often are considered and treated as "criminals". Still in the atmosphere of the Idul Fitri, the time when all people (including the officials) should actually open their inner heart, the regional government has dispersed terror and threatened the poor people trying to find better luck in the capital city.

The high officials in the capital city stated that there will be deporting new hundreds of thousand immigrants (majority are poor people) who always come to Jakarta during the coming home period after Idul Fitri. Is the capital city only for the prosperous people?

If the threat is really implemented and the Provincial Government of DKI Jakarta mobilizes Satpol PP (Civil Service Police) for Operasi Yustisi (operation to seek for illegal immigrants), the Provincial Government of DKI Jakarta is doing exactly like the Government of Malaysia who mobilized Rela "capturing" the Indonesians in Malaysia.

Affirming the commitment

Regarding the commitment on poverty eradication, not only Indonesia has become the part of the global pact of MDGs, but also has become the country ratifying the ICESCR (by the Act No 11/2005). The covenant even is more operational and juridically binding because it mandated the existence harmonization the legislation at national level. Nevertheless, until the present day the government's political intention/will has not shown any signs of harmonizing the acts on the sectors of economy, social and cultural. The conservativeness of budgetary politic which is reflected in the State Budget is the evidence of ignorance of main covenant ratification implementation.

Until now, our State Budget only functions as the conservation of high cost bureaucracy, the door of corruption, but it remains to far to facilitate the effort to make the citizen smarter and healthier, let alone free them from the chain of poverty.

Kompas, Indonesia 17 October 2007