PADANG, kiprahkita.net - West Sumatra's Acting Governor, Audy Joinaldy, officially opened a coordination meeting on Poverty Alleviation and Extreme Poverty Eradication on Thursday (September 26, 2024) at the West Sumatra Regional Development Planning Agency (Bappeda) office.
Audy emphasized the importance of collaboration among all parties to tackle poverty, especially since West Sumatra is prone to natural disasters.
“We still face a significant challenge in reducing extreme poverty to 0 percent. Although six regions made progress in 2023, we cannot overlook the fact that recent natural disasters have complicated our efforts,” Audy explained.
In the past few years, West Sumatra has experienced several natural disasters, including a volcanic eruption in December 2023 that impacted three districts and cities, and flash floods in March and May 2024, which affected nearly all regions of West Sumatra.
These disasters caused damage to the agricultural sector, infrastructure, and public facilities.
The provincial government alone faces infrastructure repair costs amounting to IDR 1.6 trillion, not including damages under the responsibility of the central and district governments.
Audy noted that these disasters have also led to a rise in poverty rates in several areas that had previously made progress in reducing poverty. Despite this, he remains optimistic that with strong cooperation between the provincial and district governments, the goal of reducing extreme poverty to 0% is still achievable.
“Natural disasters have slowed our progress, but with good coordination, hard work, and the right policies, we can reduce poverty again,” Audy added.
He also outlined the province’s long-term strategy towards 2045, which has been included in regional planning documents.
The strategy includes three key approaches: reducing household expenses, increasing incomes, and focusing on regions with high poverty rates.
Audy urged everyone to change their mindset regarding poverty, emphasizing that poverty is not an inescapable fate but a problem that can be solved through collective effort.
“We must remove the stigma that poverty is destiny. With hard work and determination, poverty can be overcome,” he stressed.(adpsb)
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