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The system of industrial relations in Indonesia is undergoing a transition from a heavily centralized and government-controlled system, to a more decentralized system where employers and employees negotiate the terms and conditions of employment at the enterprise level. However, many components are still influenced by the paternalistic central government practices of the past.
Indonesia's decentralization reform is now in its third year of implementation. The 'big bang' start marked the transfer of resources -assets, personnel and finances- to the regions to compensate for the added authorities and functions. While the speed and size of the changes to formal structure have been phenomenal, the adjustment of non-formal institutional settings is likely to take a long time.
This study is the first attempt to systematically examine the impact of bad governance practices in Indonesia on poverty reduction. Indonesia is a country that has endured bad governance for a long period, but has also sustained significant poverty reduction.
Infrastructures play a crucial role in economic development and poverty reduction. The economic crisis in 1997-98 severely curtailed the government’s capacity to maintain existing infrastructures, negativelyimpacted the prospects for future economic development and poverty reduction in the country.
This paper analyzes the impact of an Indonesian scholarship program, which was implemented to preserve access to education for the poor during the Southeast Asian economic crisis. Allocation followed a decentralized design that involved both geographic and individual targeting.

