Prioritize Reducing Poverty Rates, NTB Doesn't Have A Handling Institution Up To The Village Level

NTB - The Provincial Government of West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) will prioritize reducing extreme poverty in an effort to accelerate the reduction of the number of poor people in NTB.

The head of the NTB Bappeda, Iswandi, explained that there were a number of challenges to overcome, including the absence of poverty reduction institutions at the village level, and the initiation of innovations developed at the provincial level not yet optimally implemented at the village level.

"The poorest people who work as agricultural or plantation laborers and as farmers and planters are mostly in East Lombok Regency," he said in a written statement, Wednesday, July 20.

However, continued Iswandi, various innovations were carried out in poverty alleviation in NTB.

Among them, he said, were the brilliant village movement innovation, village-based poverty alleviation, the innovation of the Multi-Stakeholder Poverty Reduction Movement (GMP-PK) and building a village poverty data collection system.

According to him, the problem of poverty in NTB is currently related to human development issues related to poverty and stunting. For this reason, the single digit poverty reduction scenario is carried out through the Social Welfare Integrated Data (DTKS) program, the Right Target Program (PKH, GMP-PK, district/city/village).

Livelihood or financial assets through banking, physical or infrastructure interventions from ministries or institutions, the natural environment of the village government, social enterprises, and the community.

In addition, his party also carried out a Village Information System (SID) roadmap for poverty reduction. For example, improving the quality of village government governance is a focus of attention for the NTB Provincial Government. Considering that SID supports development planning, public information disclosure and public services.

The NTB Provincial Government is targeting SID to be implemented in all villages and integrated in provinces and districts and cities by the end of 2023.

"Data and information are one of the keys to improving development management and public services in villages. Villages have a strategic position in public services and basic services. Strengthening SID contributes to strengthening NTB Satu Data," said Iswandi.

Iswandi hopes that improved governance of the agricultural sector will lead to an increase in income, thereby reducing the burden on farmers. Strengthening the village poverty data collection system in an integrated manner with SID.

"The expansion and improvement of the multi-stakeholder movement with a multi-dimensional poverty alleviation approach and BPS assistance through the Cinta Statistik Village (Desa Cantik) in the implementation of the Village Poverty Data Collection System," he said.

Previously, based on an Antara report, the Deputy Governor of NTB, Sitti Rohmi Djalillah, said that his party was continuing to strive to reduce the poverty rate in 2023 by one digit.

"This is indeed a fairly high target, but if we synergize all parties and we work with data so that our work can be focused, then the target will be achieved well," he said.

The decrease in the poverty rate as of March 2021 was 14.14 percent, then to 13.83 percent as of September 2021.

In addition, there are four elements that must be considered in handling poverty and stunting, namely data validation, good systems, synergy and coordination.

"Significant reduction in the poverty rate must pay attention to data validation. The key to data validation is in the village, we must be able to realize Gemilang Village," he said.