Four Indonesians richer than poorest 100m

Oxfam study shows rising gap between the rich and poor

JAKARTA // The four richest Indonesians are wealthier than the poorest 100 million people in the country combined, a study has found, highlighting how many people have been left behind as the economy booms. President Joko Widodo has failed to fulfil pledges to fight inequality, Oxfam said, calling on the government to increase spending on public services and make corporations and the wealthy pay more tax. Economic boom has reduced the number of people living in extreme poverty but the gap between rich and poor has risen faster than in any other SouthEast Asian country in the past 20 years, the Oxfam study said.

“The benefits of growth have not been shared equally, and millions have been left be- hind,” said the research released this week. “The widening of the gap between the rich and the rest is a serious threat to Indonesia’s prosperity,” the study said.

“If inequality is not tackled, then reducing poverty will be much more difficult, and social instability could increase.”

Last year, the wealth of the four richest Indonesians, all men, was US$25 billion (Dh92bn). This was more than the combined wealth of the 100 million poorest, out of a population of 255 million, it said. According to Forbes rich list, the wealthiest included three tobacco tycoons – brothers Michael and Budi Hartono, and Susilo Wonowidjojo.

In January, the government launched a programme to tackle inequality that included measures aimed at helping farmers and fishermen, improving the tax system and providing more opportunities for vocational training.