Hidayatullah Muttaqin SE, MSI, Pg.D: ASEAN Needs Cooperation to Overcome Poverty Problems in Member Countries
Banjarmasin – Economist from Lambung Mangkurat University (ULM) South Kalimantan Hidayatullah Muttaqin SE, MSI , Pg.D said ASEAN needs to work together to overcome the problem of poverty in some member countries which is still relatively high. “This attention to solving the problem of poverty in Southeast Asia can be realized in various forms of cooperation with real implementation on the ground,” said Muttaqin in Banjarmasin, Wednesday.
Muttaqin cited data owned by the World Bank which stated that the highest poverty rate based on the national poverty line occurred in Myanmar, which was 24.80 percent in 2017. Then Laos 18.30 percent (2018), Philippines 18.10 percent (2021), Cambodia 17.70 percent (2012), Indonesia 9.57 percent (2022), Malaysia 8.4 percent (2019) and Thailand 6.2 percent (2021). Then, he referred to data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) reporting that the poverty rate in Indonesia in 2022 in rural areas was 12.365 percent, while in urban areas it was 7.53 percent.
Muttaqin explained that poverty is still high in these ASEAN member countries and that it is more widely distributed in rural areas demands joint attention, especially between the central government and regional governments.
As for the forms of ASEAN cooperation, according to Muttaqin, for example the exchange of experiences in making poverty alleviation policies in rural areas, research collaborations, as well as youth exchanges to provide service and counseling in villages which can have an impact on improving the welfare of people in villages. “ASEAN needs to coordinate this cooperation to be more focused and systematic,” said Muttaqin.
For example, several rich ASEAN countries such as Singapore and Brunei Darussalam can play a bigger role in funding activities. Of course, every country contributes both financially and in the form of manpower and expertise. “It is hoped that in the next 10 years the problem of poverty in ASEAN can be reduced more significantly,” said the economist who graduated from the University of Birmingham, UK.
