During the COVID-19 pandemic, all regions in Indonesia have had negative economic growth. It also increased the poverty rate in the country. The government must allocate pro-growth and poverty reduction programs to maintain economic growth and simultaneously reduce poverty. This study aims to measure the relative efficiency of pro-growth poverty reduction spending of local governments in seven regions in Indonesia. This study compares the efficiency scores before and during the COVID-19 pandemic from 2015 to 2019 and 2020. The inputs are five types of government spending: education, health, economic, social protection, and infrastructure. The outputs are economic growth and poverty reduction. Data envelopment analysis with an output-oriented model and a return to scale variable approach is applied. The results show that the highest average local government efficiency score was in Kalimantan, with the lowest being in Sulawesi. The efficiency scores of local governments in the COVID-19 pandemic differ between regions: it remained stable in Kalimantan, increased in Java-Bali, Sumatra, and Sulawesi, and experienced a decline in Nusa Tenggara, Maluku, and Papua. The study concludes that economic growth and poverty reduction can simultaneously measure government efficiency. To be relatively efficient, local governments need to consider allocating pro-growth poverty reduction spending to improve the conditions of both outputs.

Special Economic Zones are very important for the progress of an area. SEZ is able to contribute to the regional economy and increase economic development by providing direct and indirect effects. The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of special economic zones on regional economic development. The object of this study is to explore the establish SEZ in Indonesia just only refer to two SEZs namely SEI Mangke and Tanjung Lesung. This research used literature study as a method. The results show that SEZ make the regional economy is starting to move towards a better direction. The role of two SEZs observed have different impact on regional economy, SEI Mangke has a positive impact on macroeconomy indicator such as reduced unemployment, reduced poverty and an increased economic growth rate in Simalungun Regency. Otherwise, Tanjung Lesung just has a positive impact on MSMEsKeywords: Unemployment, Poverty, Economic Growth, Pengembangan UMKM, SEZ Sei Mangke, SEZ Tanjung Lesung

This study examines the feminization of poverty in Indonesia, focusing on the distinct vulnerabilities faced by female-headed households. Utilizing data from the 2023 National Socio-Economic Survey (SUSENAS) involving 291,231 households, this study applies a logistic regression model to investigate gender-specific determinants of household poverty. This research finds that education, digital literacy, financial inclusion, and the employment sector are significant factors influencing poverty status, with female-headed households facing disproportionately higher risks. These gaps are mainly attributed to systemic barriers in financial access, digital literacy gaps, and limited labor market opportunities for women. This study emphasizes the importance of implementing gender-responsive policy measures, including targeted education, enhanced digital literacy training, and inclusive financial programs. By presenting empirical evidence from Indonesia, this study contributes to the discourse on gender and poverty, offering actionable insights for the development of inclusive poverty alleviation strategies.

This study aims to test the hypothesis that explains the relationship between tax revenue and government spending in six Indonesia regions. Furthermore, the units of analysis were districts and cities in each region from 2006 to 2017, and a Granger panel causality approach was used. The results showed that out of the six regions, five experienced bidirectional causality between tax revenues and local government spending, namely Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, and the Bali & Nusa Tenggara. Also, there was fiscal synchronization in five regions, while the tax-spend hypothesis applies in the Papua & Maluku regions. Therefore, the local governments in these regions need to be careful in deciding actions related to increasing revenue. This can be achieved through optimization from the tax sector, as well as increment in expenditure by encouraging public spending from the administration .

This research aims to (1) assess the efficiency of pro-poor growth spending by local governments in Indonesia and (2) examine the factors influencing this efficiency. This research is conducted in two steps. In the first step, employing the Data Envelopment Analysis method, the efficiency level was assessed across local governments in 34 provinces in Indonesia, spanning from 2015 to 2021. The analysis considers five inputs: per capita spending on education, health, economy, social protection, and infrastructure, with economic growth and poverty rates as the outputs. The study examines efficiency determinants in the second stage through the Tobit regression method. The efficiency determinants encompass government splitting, GRDP per capita, intergovernmental transfers, and taxes. Findings reveal that the average efficiency score is 0.96. However, only Jakarta, Bali, and Banten provinces consistently demonstrate efficiency. Moreover, Tobit regression underscores that regional expansion adversely impacts spending efficiency, with local governments in burgeoning provinces exhibiting lower efficiency levels. GRDP per capita and transfers also have a negative influence on spending efficiency. Conversely, taxes exhibit a positive effect on spending efficiency. Consequently, it is recommended that the Indonesian government cease regional expansion and instead focus on intensifying and extending tax efforts. Simultaneously, local governments should strive towards reducing fiscal reliance on the central government, a crucial step towards enhancing spending efficiency.