Does Village Fund Transfer Address the Issue of Inequality and Poverty? A Lesson from Indonesia

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of fiscal transfer, specifically the Village Fund Transfer, on rural income inequality and rural poverty. Studies on fiscal transfer offers contrasting outcomes, some argues that fiscal transfer suppresses wealth disparity, while others argue that it tends to widen disparity. This study employs descriptive analysis in estimating the elasticity of income inequality and poverty rate before and after the Village Fund Transfer. It develops multiple regressions model on panel datasets of 33 provinces in Indonesia before and after the implementation of Village Fund Transfer. This study suggests that the elasticity of income inequality is higher after the implementation of village fund transfer. Rural poverty tends to decline annually, however, the elasticity changes is lower after the implementation of village fund transfer. Furthermore, this study suggests that village fund transfer is insignificant in coping with the issue of income inequality, while education and the level of labor productivity of agricultural sector appears to be the determinant factor in tackling the issue of income inequality in the rural areas. This study further reveals the significance of village fund transfer in suppressing the rural poverty rate. This study also highlights the significance of human resources quality and agricultural sector in reducing poverty rate in rural areas.