Kompas -
July 2, 2013
According to National Development Planning
Board (Bappenas) Chief Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, BLSM is one means to prevent
poor household's purchasing power from being eroded by inflation. The increase
in the price of subsidised fuel will cause inflation to skyrocket with Bank
Indonesia (the central bank) predicting its contribution to inflation will be
as high as 2.46 percent.
Meaning that
if part of the BSLM is used to pay of debts, then ordinary people's purchasing
power will not be maintained as the government hopes. Let alone if a part of it
is use to buy cigarettes.
Referring to
research by the Demographic Institute at the University of Indonesia's Faculty
of Economics, spending on cigarettes exceeds that of essentials in the poorest
households. According to one of its researchers, Abdillah Ahsan, 47.74 percent
of the poorest households were smokers in 2005. In 2009, this increased to 57.1
percent.
The BPS
notes that cigarettes were one of the commodities that had a huge impact on the
increase in poverty in March 2013. Out of nine consumable commodities
cigarettes were in second place after rice. In cities cigarettes contributed as
much as 8.82 percent to the increase in poverty. While in rural areas it
contributed 7.48 percent. (LAS/MAS/ACI)
[BLSM Bisa
Melempem: Rokok menggerus daya beli keluarga termiskin – Kompas. 2 Juli,
2013. Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft news service.]
