Presentation Title: Changing Impacts Of Poverty Reduction Policies In Indonesia From 1994 To 2018
Theme: Indonesia: societal and Comparative Perspectives
Presenter: Mr Ajie Saksono

This study analyses the impacts of the poverty reduction policies on the intended beneficiaries in rural areas from 1994 to 2018 in Indonesia. Previous studies in the international development discourse indicated that improving the design of the policies would be essential to reduce rural poverty. Contrary to this understanding, I argue that the factors outside the policies such as the protection of rights and inclusive participation have determined the outcome of the policies. This paper shows that the benefit of the intended beneficiaries of the poverty reduction programs in Indonesia has increased because of the protection of poor people rights and participation. My findings include rural poverty reduction policy implementations reflected state-society relations in Indonesia. This paper draws on two sources of case studies in the field and desk work and employs observations, interviews, and focus group discussion method to analyse several cases of poverty reduction programs. This study uses Kabeer's citizenship to analyse how the factors outside the programs determine the impact of the programs on the intended beneficiaries. Based on the analyses, this study found that the early centralised poverty reduction programs of IDT, PPK and PNPM (1994-2015) excluded rural poor people because of the dominant role of rural elites in the poverty targeting process. Conversely, the decentralised poverty reduction program (the Batik industries program and the House Renovations program in Kulonprogo Regency, Java) benefitted the low-income batik workers and the poor homeowners by improving the poverty-targeting accuracy and mechanism, and also promoting poor people participation.  

I am a PhD Candidate in Southeast Asian Social Inquiry with the research focus on rural development and rural poverty in Indonesia. My thesis examines the changing impacts of state-led rural development in Indonesia from 1967 to 2018. Prior to my study at UNSW Canberra, I was a public sector officer at Regional Development Planning Agency in Indonesia.