Policy Research
Targeting beneficiaries is one of the most crucial and difficult problems in the implementation of poverty reduction programs. Indonesia is a vast and populous country and currently reliable poverty statistics are only disaggregated down to the provincial level. It is not surprising that geographic targeting of the poor has been difficult.
This special edition is different from our regular newsletter. This edition, entitled "NGOs' Perspectives on National Problems in Reform and Democratization Era", is unique as our contributors are all NGO activists. Indonesian NGOs have been playing significant role in community development and empowerment, environmental protection, women's and children's rights, legal advocacy, etc.
A first step towards meeting Indonesia’s ambition for universal health insurance was made in 2005 with the introduction of the Askeskin programme, a subsidized social health insurance targeted to the informal sector and the poor.
Over the past few years, microbusinesses have been recognized as having an important role in improving the country's economy. Therefore, government institutions are expected to pay greater attention to microbusinesses.
To avoid the middle income trap, Indonesia needs to start shifting its economy to highervalue products, which requires a workforce that has an increasingly high level of knowledge, skills, and competencies. This implies that Indonesia needs to put more serious effort into the improvement of the quality of its education system.
