The Political Economy of Social Protection Reforms in Indonesia

This presentation was delivered at the "International Conference - Reforming Social Protection Systems in Developing Countries", which was held at the Institute of Development Research and Development Policy, RUHR-Univesitat, Bochum, Germany, on 20-21 October 2011. It shows the evolution of social protection policies and programmes in Indonesia. An increase in global crude oil prices put pressure on Indonesia's government to take action on poverty alleviation. The government’s approach towards policy alleviation has changed, from general economic development to more targeted policies. Democracy and openness has brought poverty from a merely restricted, academic discourse to a major political issue. After the Asian Financial Crisis, greater efforts were made towards developing targeted programmes and building social insurance.