Track: Case Studies

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has been changed the view of poverty, and it is very fast and urgently requires affirmative policy. The COVID-19 has a significant impact on the economy and health, children's education, and unemployment. The Central Bureau of Statistics reported that the number of low-income families in Indonesia's urban and rural areas in 2020 was 26.42 million. The figure was increased as many as 5.09 percent compared to 2019 is 25.14 million. This issue is difficult to overcome due to budget constraints. Many policies have been implemented to reduce poverty during the COVID-19 pandemic, but its efforts do not show significant results. This study aims to analyze the implementation of poverty alleviation policies during the COVID-19 pandemic in Pekalongan Regency, Indonesia. This mixed methodology study was collected data by conducting surveys with 150 respondents and in-depth interviews with 10 low-income families, community leaders, and local government actors. The results showed that poverty alleviation policies during the COVID-19 pandemic had not been fully implemented. The inhibiting factors are the accessibility of the poor to poverty programs and activities, the high number of poor people affected by COVID-19, and the priority of local government funds being diverted to deal with COVID-19.

Keywords: Poverty, Policy Implementation, Poor Families, Covid-19 Pandemic and Mixed-Methodology.