Referring To BPS Data On Poverty Rates, Economists Ask Acting Governor Of Aceh Major General Purn Achmad Marzuki To Focus On MSMEs

Acting Governor of Aceh Achmad Marzuki when meeting the media crew after the inauguration at the DPRA Main Building, Banda Aceh City / ANTARA

JAKARTA - An economist from Syiah Kuala University (USK) Muhammad Nasir asked Major General Purn Achmad Marzuki to focus on reducing the poverty rate which is still high in Aceh Province during his tenure as Acting Governor.

"Because of its short-term nature, only one or two years in office, the main priority is reducing poverty in Aceh, which is still relatively high in Sumatra," said Nasir when contacted from Banda Aceh, Antara, Wednesday, July 6.

The latest data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), Aceh occupies the poorest position in Sumatra with the number of poor people in September 2021 as many as 850 thousand people or 15.53 percent.

Of course, said Nasir, the poverty rate is related to the economic sector of the community. Currently, the most dominant economic sectors in Acehnese society are agriculture, fisheries and several other primary sectors.

"This primary sector still needs special attention from the Aceh Government through the APBA (Aceh Revenue and Expenditure Budget) so that it is prioritized so that many farmers and fishermen will benefit," he said.

In addition, the Acting Governor of Aceh was also asked to focus on strengthening the micro and small and medium enterprises (UMKM) sector.

Moreover, he said, many Tanah Rencong people are struggling in the informal sector, but have not received special attention from the government. T

it can be seen from the use of the APBA which does not focus on priority programs to reduce poverty, such as strengthening MSMEs. "Indeed, there have been many development programs so far, but not all of them have a direct short-term impact, for example the education sector is more long-term in nature," he said

Of course, said Nasir, it is hoped that the use of the APBA in the future will have an impact on improving the economy of the lower middle class.

“Strengthening the MSME sector needs to be a priority. So in the future APBA, it is necessary to focus on priority programs that lead to poverty reduction," he said.

Moreover, Aceh has a fairly large special autonomy (Otsus) fund, but the poverty rate is still high. Of course, this is in stark contrast to the reality in Acehnese society for many years.

"We have received special autonomy for a long time, so the poverty rate should fall more sharply. So the initial priority of the acting governor is to reduce the poverty rate, if we can reduce the percentage of the poverty rate even more," he said.

In addition, the Acting Governor of Aceh was also asked to be active in increasing investment promotion which so far has not been maximized, both foreign and domestic investment.

“If investment is strong, it will reduce poverty as well. So far, we have seen that government spending is more dominant to stimulate the community's economy," said Nasir.