Indonesia has more than doubled its government-funded energy subsidies this year, to Rp 349.9 trillion (US$23.56 billion). But how else could that money be spent to help people who need it most?
A tax credit expansion played a big role in child poverty reduction. But the government’s failure to reach all eligible Americans meant many families never got that temporary benefit.
One 11-year old girl told us she knows once rent is paid, there is almost nothing left over. So she never takes school excursion notes home, in case the cost is too much.
The country urgently needs more people who are committed to living decently to undo the systemic humiliation caused by political and economic institutions.
The country is still a very different political space. It’s a noisy democracy with a free media, lots of dissenting voices, and insulting the government doesn’t carry any overt sanction.
Soaring inflation in the US has been driven in part by large increases in the price of groceries – a burden that falls disproportionately on lower-income families.
The latest findings add to the understanding of how social disadvantage such as poverty and low-quality, unsafe housing can affect early child development.
Our new research suggests that while a break up, on average, reduces men’s disposable household income by 5%, on average women’s household income decreases by almost 30%.