Mutually Reinforcing Cycles of Public Service Delivery and Poverty Reduction Program: Lesson from the Implementation of Social Safety Net Program in Indonesia

Abstract

What people do with their lives and those of their family affects their health more than anything the government can do. But what they can do is determined, to a great extent, by their income and knowledge – factors that are not completely within their control. Policies that accelerate income growth and reduce poverty make it possible for people to afford better diets, healthier living conditions, and better health care. Policies to improve people's income, assists their welfare, expands educational opportunities, and policies that work to ensure effective and accessible health services for all aim to reduce poverty. At the same time, to make the commitment work, there must also be many policies in place to improve the capacity of the administrator and the quality of public service delivery. When these policies are combined, they create a virtuous cycle in which reduction of poverty and public service delivery reinforces each other. Because people's ability to improve their own health depends so much on income and education, the policy conclusions are clear: government should work to boost economic growth, reduce poverty, and develop human resources through expanded job opportunities, increased public health spending and education. The question is: have these economic policies taken into account the strategy to deliver the service for the poor? To protect the most vulnerable members of society, it is appropriate for governments to ensure that transfers and other special arrangements are effective.