May 28, 2026 | 09:57 am
null
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia wants to learn from China in poverty alleviation program implementation, according to Ahmad Riza Patria, Deputy Minister of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions."It is important to learn beyond just the program, but also procedures, systematics, problem-solving techniques, and also anticipation and management. China's lead has contributed greatly for other countries to learn, and Indonesia is striving to catch up," Riza Patria told ANTARA in Beijing on Wednesday, May 27.Riza made this statement on the sidelines of the first meeting of the Global Partnership for Poverty Alleviation and Development (GPPAD) Committee, initiated by the Chinese government.Indonesia served as co-chair of the forum, along with Ivory Coast, Brazil, Pakistan, South Africa, and Uzbekistan. China, represented by Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Zhang Lu, served as the forum chair."Indonesia is a large country, and its poverty rate has slightly decrease, but it remains high, hovering above 10 percent. We must learn to quickly address issues regarding poverty since they are complex," said Riza.Riza explained a number of President Prabowo Subianto's programs that focus on rural regions and underprivileged communities, such as the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG), the Red and White Fisherfolk Village, the Red and White Village Cooperative (KDKMP), and the Village-Owned Enterprises (BUMDes)."The economy will be flowing across villages with these programs, which ultimately improves productivity and the welfare of rural communities," explained Riza.The Indonesian and Chinese governments have collaborated on rural programs, including sending several Indonesian village heads to study in China."Every year we send village heads to China. Last year there were 25, this year there are 27, and that number will continue to grow," said Riza, adding that Chinese representatives also come to Indonesia for knowledge sharing.According to official data, China successfully eradicated poverty for 800 million people from 1970 to 2021. From 2013 to 2020 alone, the Chinese government reported that 98.99 million rural residents escaped extreme poverty, an average of more than 10 million people per year.China is said to have achieved the poverty alleviation target in the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development ten years ahead of schedule.In February 2021, China officially declared "complete victory" in eradicating extreme poverty. A total of 832 districts and approximately 128,000 villages were officially removed from the list of impoverished areas.Meanwhile, the GPPAD forum was initiated by China, along with 53 countries and nine international organizations, to share best practices in poverty alleviation and governance, and to jointly explore ways to eradicate poverty at its roots, according to the announcement.Read: Indonesia Records Decrease in Extreme PovertyClick here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
