REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Haze caused by forest fires raging several parts of Sumatra and Kalimantan could increase the country's poverty rate if the government did not overcome it soon, Rector of Paramadina University Firmanzah remarked.

"The economic slowdown in Sumatra has occurred. If the government could not resolve the haze, the number of poor people would increase," Firmanzah said in a discussion here on Sunday.

According to him, the issue of haze could affect the economic growth in Sumatra and Kalimantan as many local residents rely their livelihood on nature.

"Those people do not have savings to open other businesses. When forest fire occurs, it will reduce economic growth," he said.

Moreover, he noted, the price of commodities, such as palm oil, has declined dramatically.

In addition, he predicted that the poverty rate would increase due to the El Nino weather phenomenon that caused droughts in some areas.

"Droughts in some areas has led to crop failure and affected the economy of farmers," he said.

To eradicate poverty, he said, the government is required to make a measurable and sustainable program.

"The government should provide fund injection, micro credit loan program (KUR) and village funds to assist poor people," he said.

The leader should focus on coping with poverty.

"Therefore, the president should add various discourses on poverty alleviation, he said.

He also urged the government to create an integrated and comprehensive blueprint for poverty reduction.

"Synergy and cooperation between the government and stakeholders are also required to reduce poverty rate," he said.

Earlier, the Indonesian police were investigating some 213 reports of forest and land fires, as of Thursday, which have affected 39,000 hectares of land across the country.

"Based on our reports, 201 persons have been named as suspects, including 192 individuals and nine corporations," the Head of the Public Information Department, Brigadier General Agus Riyanto said at the National Police Headquarters on Friday.

He said 68 individual suspects had been detained and that dossiers related to their cases had been filed, similar to the ones filed on five other corporations, which have been submitted to the prosecutor's office.

Dossiers have been submitted to the prosecutor's office in South Sumatra, Jambi, Riau and Kalimantan.

Agus said the crime investigation department at the National Police headquarters has so far only handled cases in South Sumatra, as others are being handled by the regional police command.

He said the National Police Headquarters had deployed 670 personnel to help fight forest fires and 70 investigators to examine cases related to them.

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