Cirebon Social Services Reports 15% of Residents in Lowest Economic Decile, Exceeding National Target

The Cirebon Social Services Department has acknowledged that 15% of its residents fall into the lowest economic decile, a figure that significantly exceeds the 10% target set by the Ministry of Social Affairs. This finding emerged from the latest national socioeconomic data mapping.

Astri Diana Ekasari, head of the impoverished family handling division at the department, explained that this discrepancy points to possible errors in the ongoing updates of social assistance recipient data. These errors can manifest as inclusion errors, where individuals who are financially stable are mistakenly categorized in deciles 1 through 5 and thus potentially receive aid. Conversely, exclusion errors occur when genuinely poor or low-income households are placed in deciles 6 through 10, preventing them from accessing necessary social support.

"Desil 1 represents extreme poverty, while desil 10 is the wealthiest," Astri stated. "Ideally, desil 1 should be around 10 percent. However, in Cirebon Regency, the figure for desil 1 has reached 15 percent." The department is now focused on improving data accuracy and sharpening its assistance programs to address this issue and lower the percentage of residents in the lowest decile.