REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, BANDA ACEH -- Aceh is the poorest province in Sumatra with 829,000 or 15.92 percent of its total population living below the poverty line in September, 2017.

"The poverty ratio was the highest in Aceh but it also recorded the largest cut in poverty ratio in September, 2017," head of the provincial office of the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) Wahyudin said here on Tuesday.

Wahyudin said there were 829,000 people (15.92 percent) living below the poverty line in Aceh in September 2017 or 42,000 less than 872,000 (16.68 percent) in March in the same year.

"The poverty ratio in September was 0.97 percentage point lower than 16.89 percent in March in the same year," he said.

Aceh was the third among 8 most successful provinces in the country in reducing the poverty ratio in September, 2017 in the country, he said.

He attributed the success in reducing the poverty ratio effective implementation of a number of government social aid programs like distribution of rice for the poor.

Wahyudin called on the government to continue serious addressing to supplies of essential goods, which are determinant in success in eliminating poverty in the province of 5 million people.

He said the economic program in the regional budget should be implemented immediately to further cut the poverty ratio in Aceh.

"Approval of the regional budget bill and immediate implementation of the budget programs would help reduce poverty," he said.

Meanwhile, the neighboring province of North Sumatra also reported a significant success in cutting poverty ratio in 2017.

The provincial office of BPS said North Sumatra had 1,326,570 people living below the poverty line in September or 127,300 fewer from 1,453,870 in March in 2017.

Head of the provincial office of the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) Syech Suhaimi the poverty ratio declined both in urban and rural areas in North Sumatra.

The poverty ratio dropped to 9.28 percent from 10.22 percent of the total population of the province, Suhaimi said in the provincial city of Medan on Tuesday.

In urban areas the poverty ratio was 8.96 percent in September down from 9.80 percent in March , 2017 and in rural areas the ratio was 9.62 percent, down from 10.66 percent, he said.

In North Sumatra poverty line is an average per capita income of Rp423,696 a month - Rp438,894 in urban areas and Rp407,157 in rural areas.

"With the decline in the number of people living below the poverty line, North Sumatra is among the provinces with significant contributions to reducing poverty in the country," Syech Suhaimi said.

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