Aceh Ranks One Province With Most Poor People On The Island Of Sumatra, Affected By COVID-19?

ILLUSTRATION / BPS (ANTARA)

BANDA ACEH - Aceh's Central Statistics Agency (BPS) stated that the poor population in the province in September 2020 increased by 19 thousand to 833.91 thousand people or around 5.43 percent compared to March 2020.

"During the period March - September 2020, the percentage of poor people in rural and urban areas has increased," said the Head of BPS Aceh Ihsanurrijal.

In urban areas the percentage of poor people increased from 9.84 percent to 10.31 percent. Meanwhile, in rural areas it also increased from 17.46 percent to 17.96 percent.

According to him, food commodities that have a major effect on the poverty line value in urban areas are relatively the same as in rural areas, such as rice, cigarettes, and tuna, tuna or skipjack.

"Meanwhile, non-food commodities that affect the poverty line are the cost of housing, gasoline and electricity," he said as quoted by Antara.

BPS assesses several factors that are thought to be related to an increase in poverty in the area with a population of 5.2 million people in the period March-September 2020, including the Aceh economy in the third quarter of 2020 experiencing a growth contraction of 0.10 percent, compared to quarter III-2019 on a year-to-year basis. on-year.

Then, the open unemployment rate (TPT) in August 2020 reached 6.59 percent, higher than February 2020 which was only 5.42 percent.

Furthermore, he said, another factor was because 388 thousand people of working age or 10.01 percent were affected by COVID-19 in August 2020, both being unemployed, temporarily unemployed, reducing working hours and becoming non-labor force.

"Social assistance at the central and regional levels is running relatively well, so that poverty does not get worse," he said.

Ihsanurrijal explained that the poor population in Aceh is still volatile. In March 2017, the number of poor people was 872.61 thousand people, then it decreased to 829.80 thousand people in September 2017.

Meanwhile in March 2018 the poor population has increased to 839.50 people. Meanwhile, in the period September 2018 - September 2019 the number of poor people in Aceh tended to show a decline.

Namely from 831.50 thousand people in September 2018 to 819.44 thousand people in March 2019 and down again to 809.76 thousand people in September 2019, he said.

"Meanwhile in 2020 the number of poor people in Aceh will increase to 814.91 thousand people in March 2020 and again increase to 833.91 thousand people in September 2020," he said.

When viewed from the poor population by province on the island of Sumatra, Aceh again ranks first. The poverty rate in Aceh was 15.43 percent, followed by Bengkulu 15.30 percent and South Sumatra 12.98 percent.

Meanwhile, in March 2020, Aceh managed to fall to second place in Sumatra with a poverty rate of 14.99 percent. Meanwhile, the first rank is Bengkulu, namely 15.03 percent.