Interventions in Alleviating Income Inequality and Poverty

The ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) has had previous summits
wherein countries collaborate with each other for each others benefits. Among their topics are
the interventions of alleviating income inequality and poverty.
Goals
The ASEAN formed policies, programs, and organizations pertaining to income
inequality and poverty which lasts for years such as the ASEAN Plus Three Cooperation Work
Plan (2007-2017), Framework Action Plan on Rural Development and Poverty Eradication
(2004-2010), Senior Officials Meeting on Rural Development and Poverty Eradication
(monitors the progress of achievement), and so on and so forth.
The purpose of all mentioned above is poverty and inequality eradication. Their meetings
discussed about joint projects and activities that were proposed in these areas which included
micro-financing; narrowing the development gap; climate change adaptation in the context of
rural development and poverty alleviation; addressing poverty among the socially vulnerable
groups; engaging community leaders; rising food prices, natural disasters and poverty reduction;
and the feminization of poverty.
As labor unions and organizations expand, the demand for income equality has risen
aspiring for positive change in how workers are treated, labor conditions, and compensation
packages. Human- rights based organizations have a great potential for generating an income
convergence between the wealthy and those less fortunate. Aside from (1) traditional cash
transfers, Asia-Pacific countries are introducing innovative measures to reduce inequalities, such
as (2) health equity funds, (3) impact investing in education, (4) universal health coverage, and
(5) expanding access to old-age pensions.
Policies suggested which benefit the individuals, public sector, private sector, and
community include the strengthening of national taxation systems to improve redistributive
mechanisms, strongly promoting productive and decent work which promotes better employment
and economic growth, enhancing social protection to ensure that everyone has access to essential
services, investing more on infrastructure such as roads, railways, ports, bridges and
telecommunications normally managed; a degree of soft infrastructure investment is required to
ensure there are sufficient human resources and cross-country compatibility, and providing free
primary education, higher education and training, and maternal and childhood health.

Report on Achievements
Singapore and Brunei are considered to be rich countries in terms of GDP per capita. Moreover,
these countries do not provide data about poverty and income inequality. As for programs,
Brunei Darussalam provides monthly allowances to thousands who are undergoing hardships
whereas Singapore also has a program for the needy. These disadvantageous groups include
single mothers, widows, orphans, and very ill persons who have no source of income for their
daily needs. As for the other ASEAN countries, they have continued to reach their income
inequality and poverty targets as shown in the figure below.

Figure: Gini coefficients and

poverty headcount ratios in
Southeast Asia.
Lao PDR = Lao Peoples Democratic
Republic.
Sources: PovcalNet,
http://iresearch.worldbank.org/Povca
lNet/index.htm (accessed 31 January
2012) and World Development
Indicators,
http://data.worldbank.org/datacatalog/world -developmentindicators (accessed 31 January
2012).