Jakarta (Antara Bali) - The government is of the viewpoint that the current widening economic gap in various regions must be immediately overcome, Vice President Jusuf Kalla stated here on Monday.
"The Arab Spring (reform movements in Arab countries in the past few years) broke out when their Gini ratio (index that measures gap) was recorded at 0.45, while our Gini ratio is at 0.4," he pointed out.
In view of that, the government is currently striving to work for the welfare of the poor in areas such as housing development and extension of aid to micro, small and medium businesses as well as farmers and traditional fishermen, he explained.
He noted that if the "yellow light" sign of gap was not immediately overcome, it is feared that a phenomenon similar to that in the Middle-East countries would occur.
"Look at what has happened in Egypt and Libya," he added.
World Bank President Jim Yong Kim stated that currently, every country in the world is concerned about the issue of growing gap between the rich and poor and are laying emphasis on a more even and inclusive distribution of welfare in the society.
"Every country that I visit is worried about the gap," he remarked in a written statement received here on Saturday.
He said the World Bank, for the first time in the history of the multilateral financial institution, has measured the Gini ratio every year.
In connection with this, the World Bank has monitored the income growth of 40 percent of the low-level society and compared it to that of the other sections of the population.
He expressed hope that every country can find a way to create jobs to include the poor and the marginal into its economy.
The World Bank's president also emphasized that the issue had become a matter of concern for developing countries, and so, he has forecast that the gap issue would continue to be an important agenda in the future.
The UN Coordinator in Indonesia Douglas Broderick earlier remarked that the main challenge faced by the Indonesian government is finding ways to overcome the social gap in the society.
"I think the biggest challenge of the current government is social gap. The Gini index in Indonesia has increased from 0.31 to 0.41. This is a big challenge to deal with," he stated after attending the inauguration of the current president and vice president at the parliament building in October.
Broderick was of the viewpoint that the challenge can be overcome if all parties - the government and the society - would work in tandem. (WDY)
COPYRIGHT © ANTARA News Bali 2014
"The Arab Spring (reform movements in Arab countries in the past few years) broke out when their Gini ratio (index that measures gap) was recorded at 0.45, while our Gini ratio is at 0.4," he pointed out.
In view of that, the government is currently striving to work for the welfare of the poor in areas such as housing development and extension of aid to micro, small and medium businesses as well as farmers and traditional fishermen, he explained.
He noted that if the "yellow light" sign of gap was not immediately overcome, it is feared that a phenomenon similar to that in the Middle-East countries would occur.
"Look at what has happened in Egypt and Libya," he added.
World Bank President Jim Yong Kim stated that currently, every country in the world is concerned about the issue of growing gap between the rich and poor and are laying emphasis on a more even and inclusive distribution of welfare in the society.
"Every country that I visit is worried about the gap," he remarked in a written statement received here on Saturday.
He said the World Bank, for the first time in the history of the multilateral financial institution, has measured the Gini ratio every year.
In connection with this, the World Bank has monitored the income growth of 40 percent of the low-level society and compared it to that of the other sections of the population.
He expressed hope that every country can find a way to create jobs to include the poor and the marginal into its economy.
The World Bank's president also emphasized that the issue had become a matter of concern for developing countries, and so, he has forecast that the gap issue would continue to be an important agenda in the future.
The UN Coordinator in Indonesia Douglas Broderick earlier remarked that the main challenge faced by the Indonesian government is finding ways to overcome the social gap in the society.
"I think the biggest challenge of the current government is social gap. The Gini index in Indonesia has increased from 0.31 to 0.41. This is a big challenge to deal with," he stated after attending the inauguration of the current president and vice president at the parliament building in October.
Broderick was of the viewpoint that the challenge can be overcome if all parties - the government and the society - would work in tandem. (WDY)
Editor : I Gusti Bagus Widyantara
COPYRIGHT © ANTARA News Bali 2014