Achieving SDGs Targets 6 Years Faster!
Bappedalitbang, May 7, 2024 - The Surabaya City Government under the leadership of Mayor Eri Cahyadi has succeeded in reducing the extreme poverty rate to 0% by 2024. This is a remarkable achievement in poverty alleviation efforts in the second largest city in Indonesia.
Based on data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), the extreme poverty rate in Surabaya in 2021 is still at 1.2% or around 35 thousand people. Then in 2022 it dropped to 0.8% or around 23 thousand people. Finally, in April 2024, Mayor Eri Cahyadi stipulated a Mayoral Decree that the target data for extreme poor families in Surabaya City had reached 0 people or 0 family heads.
Surabaya's success in alleviating extreme poverty cannot be separated from the various programs and policies carried out by the Surabaya City Government in a comprehensive manner. and integrated. Some of the excellent programs implemented include:
- Labor-intensive programs that involve the poor in various development projects and productive businesses such as paving, fish farming, agriculture, tourism, etc. This program has significantly increased the income of the poor
- Targeted social assistance and subsidies for poor families, such as assistance with electricity costs, renovation of uninhabitable houses, cheap business loans, etc.
- MSME and entrepreneurship development through training, mentoring, access to capital and digital marketing. The municipal government allocates a budget of up to Rp 3 trillion for MSME empowerment.
- Improvement of quality public basic services that are easily accessible to the poor, such as education, health, clean water, population administration, etc.
Collaboration and synergy with various parties such as universities, the business world, religious institutions, and the community in handling poverty
For its success in reducing poverty and extreme poverty, Surabaya City Government received awards and fiscal incentives from the central government. Surabaya is also a national pilot in accelerating the elimination of extreme poverty.
Surabaya's success in reducing extreme poverty to 0% should be appreciated and replicated by other regions in Indonesia. With innovative leadership, well-targeted policies, and the collaboration of all parties, complex poverty issues can be resolved effectively and sustainably.
Surabaya's achievement in alleviating extreme poverty also contributes significantly to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 1 of No Poverty. Related SDG targets. The SDGs targets related to poverty include:
Target 1.1: By 2030, eradicate extreme poverty for all people currently earning less than $1.25 a day.
Target 1.2: By 2030, reduce by at least half the proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all dimensions, according to national definitions.
By achieving 0% extreme poverty by 2024, Surabaya has realized the SDGs target 6 years ahead of the 2030 deadline. This shows the commitment and seriousness of Surabaya City Government in supporting the global development agenda.
In addition , poverty alleviation efforts in Surabaya also have a positive impact on the achievement of other SDGs such as Goal 2 (No Hunger), Goal 3 (Healthy and Prosperous Life), Goal 4 (Quality Education), Goal 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), Goal 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and Goal 10 (Reduced Inequality).
Surabaya's success is an inspiration and valuable learning for other cities in Indonesia and the world in realizing inclusive and sustainable development, and achieving the SDGs goals for the welfare of all people.
After successfully alleviating extreme poverty, the next target for Surabaya City Government is to reduce the number of poor and pre-poor families. Based on data from the Surabaya Social Service, until now there are still 92,892 people / 33,723 poor families and 286,082 people / poor families. 89,050 pre-poor families in Surabaya. If not handled properly, these pre-poor families have the potential to fall into poverty.
For this reason, Mayor Eri Cahyadi targets that by August 2023, 65 thousand heads of poor families must have an income of at least Rp. 4 million per month. Various interventions and empowerment programs will be carried out by the Surabaya City Government in collaboration with all stakeholders to achieve this target.
Priority programs that will be implemented include labor-intensive expansion, provision of business capital, skills training, employment absorption by the business world, improving the quality of basic services, and comprehensive social protection for poor and vulnerable families. Collaboration and synergy from all parties are key to the success of efforts to alleviate poverty and pre-poor families in Surabaya.
With strong leadership commitment, innovative and targeted policies, active community participation, and the support of all stakeholders, Surabaya is optimistic that it can realize a city that is increasingly prosperous, equitable, and free from poverty in the future. This success will serve as an example and inspiration for other regions in realizing the goal of "NO ONE LEFT BEHIND" in the spirit of the SDGs. (Bappedalitbang)
"
Extreme poverty anywhere is a threat to human security everywhere." - Kofi Annan, Seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations 
