Allowance for E. Timor refugees<\/p>\n
KUPANG, East Nusa Tenggara: The government has offered a bonus
\nof between Rp 7 million and Rp 15 million to each East Timorese
\nfamily currently living in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) who are
\nwilling to return home.<\/p>\n
East Nusa Tenggara deputy governor Johanis Pake Pani told The
\nJakarta Post in Kupang on Monday that the bonus was considered
\nthe most appropriate format for settling the refugee issue
\nbecause since their exodus to West Timor in 1999, hundreds of
\nbillion of rupiah had been spent on their daily needs.<\/p>\n
The East Timorese repatriation program is organized in
\ncooperation with the International Organization for Migration,
\nthe UN High Commission for Refugees and various world
\nhumanitarian bodies.<\/p>\n
Pake Pani indicated that with a view to reducing the state
\nfinancial burden, the government was convinced that by giving
\nsuch allowances to those ready for repatriation, the budget
\nceiling for refugees across the country (now numbering up to two
\nmillion) could be lowered.<\/p>\n
\"Camp life is much costlier than repatriation expenses and the
\ngovernment cannot afford to support their needs any more,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Data provided by a number of government agencies, private
\ninstitutes, international nongovernmental organizations and other
\nworld bodies handling refugees in the province show that over Rp
\n530 billion has been disbursed for the evacuees, coming from
\nstate and regional budgets, foreign aid and third-party
\ndonations.<\/p>\n
The deputy governor, concurrently the regional coordinator of
\nEast Timorese refugee registration, also confirmed the
\nmanipulation of data by heads of camps, which has lead to
\nmisleading figures that show a significant increase in the number
\nof refugees.<\/p>\n
It is alleged that refugee registration had been marked up to
\n340 families or 11,606 people as listed in a number of camps,
\nthus enabling them to receive more aid than was actually needed.<\/p>\n
Therefore, he continued, \"the government will issue new
\nidentity cards (KTPS) for refugees to replace the yellow cards
\nthey received in June to prevent double allocations.\"<\/p>\n
\"All refugees families are now required to possess KTPS in
\norder to get their fair share. Those having no such cards will be
\ndenied aid,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Based on figures of the Central Board of Statistics
\nregistration committee, there are 51,868 families or 284,148 East
\nTimorese refugees in the province, lower than the provisional
\nJune data of 53,000 families or 295,754 people. (30\/arp)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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