THE new year is only a month away. However, Sumiarsih does not have a great deal of new expectations. This resident of the village of Purwosari, near Pasuruan in the Province of East Java, is worried about the bad news she has heard about next year: the government will no longer provide direct cash assistance to poor people. This is despite the fact that, This assistance is extremely significant for our family, said Sumiarsih, last week.

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