Banda Aceh, January 16, 2025 – Head of BPS Aceh Province, Ahmadriswan Nasution, explained the achievements and challenges of Aceh's economic development at the Aceh Economic Forum event organized by Bank Indonesia Aceh Representative Office. In the forum attended by economic stakeholders, academics, and business actors, Ahmadriswan highlighted Aceh's rise in numbers, especially in the significant decline in poverty rates.
Based on BPS data, the percentage of poor people in Aceh in September 2024 was recorded at 12.64% or equivalent to 718,960 people. This figure has decreased by 1.59 percentage points compared to March 2024. "This is a relatively high achievement in poverty reduction, and is clear evidence that the joint efforts of all elements of society are starting to bear fruit," said Ahmadriswan.
In his presentation, Ahmadriswan also emphasized that Aceh's poverty reduction performance over the past two decades has shown significant development. Aceh is recorded as the province with the second fastest poverty reduction in Indonesia after the Riau Islands. Over the past 20 years, Aceh has succeeded in reducing the poverty rate by 55.93%, from 28.69% to 12.64%. Meanwhile, the Riau Islands recorded a decrease of 56.4%, from 10.97% to 4.78%.
"This data shows that Aceh has a strong momentum of revival. However, the challenges ahead remain great. We need to ensure the sustainability of poverty alleviation programs and strengthen cross-sector collaboration," he added.
Ahmadriswan also conveyed the importance of strengthening statistical literacy and matching government intervention data as a basis for effective policy making.
The event ended with a panel discussion involving various parties to formulate strategic steps in accelerating Aceh's economic growth, with a focus on reducing poverty and improving community welfare.
