Jababeka holds bazaar for poor neighbors<\/p>\n
Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
After queuing for almost half an hour, Aminah, 34, received a
\nticket to buy a package of basic commodities in a bazaar at the
\nJababeka Industrial Estate in Cikarang, Bekasi, West Java on
\nSunday.<\/p>\n
\"Thank God, I can buy rice, cooking oil and sugar for only Rp
\n20,000. This will really relieve the burden on us for at least a
\nweek. I wish that I could buy more packages for the Idul Fitri
\ncelebration,\" she told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Aminah, who lives with her husband and three children near the
\nindustrial estate, was just one of thousands of poor families who
\nflocked to the bazaar to buy basic commodity packages at heavily
\ndiscounted prices on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Each package contained two kilograms of sugar, five kilograms
\nof rice, two liters of cooking oil, one can of milk and five
\npackages of instant noodle.<\/p>\n
The market prices of the goods was Rp 50,000 (US$5), but they
\nwere sold for just Rp 20,000.<\/p>\n
Each family was entitled to buy one package and had to show a
\ndocument that confirmed their poverty.<\/p>\n
By Sunday evening, the 13-day bazaar, which President Susilo
\nBambang Yudhoyono opened last Oct. 12, had sold 9,500 packages.
\nThe proceeds would be used to buy basic commodities to be
\ndistributed free of charge to poor families living in three
\ndistricts surrounding the Jababeka Industrial Estate.<\/p>\n
Aside from the packages, the bazaar also offered low-priced
\ngoods, including clothes, shoes and housewares in over 100
\nbooths.<\/p>\n
Jababeka corporate marketing manager Agus H. Canny said the
\nbazaar was part of the solidarity programs launched by Susilo to
\nhelp the poor.<\/p>\n
\"All packages in the bazaar were contributed by businesspeople
\nin the industrial estate. This is the medium by which wealthy
\npeople can help the less fortunate. With this bazaar, we hope we
\ncan help poor people to cope with fuel price hike,\" he told the
\nPost.<\/p>\n
\"We subsidized the bazaar with Rp 1.2 billion so far. We
\nintend to make the bazaar an annual event so that we can continue
\nhelping the poor each year,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The government and private sector have joined hands in helping
\npoor families, which according to a report number around 40
\nmillion, to ease the bite of the fuel price increases of Oct. 1.<\/p>\n
Each of the five municipalities in Jakarta have also been
\norganizing bazaars to help the poor.<\/p>\n
In Depok, West Java, the local trade and industry agency are
\nholding bazaars in seven subdistricts from Oct. 17 to Oct. 26.<\/p>\n
\"This is a routine event for us. We want to help the poor
\nduring Ramadhan,\" said Amanullah Sarwi, head of the business
\neducation and consumer protection section at the agency.<\/p>\n
He said that his office has provided 240 kilograms of sugar,
\n240 kilograms of cooking oil, 45 boxes of instant noodle, 192
\ntins of milk, 240 boxes of detergent and 240 bottles of ketchup
\nfor each bazaar.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/jababeka-holds-bazaar-for-poor-neighbors-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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