Officials steal refugees' money<\/p>\n
PALU, Central Sulawesi: Minister of Social Affairs Bachtiar
\nChamsah admitted on Wednesday that much of the funds earmarked
\nfor refugees across the country has gone into the pockets of
\ncorrupt local government officials.<\/p>\n
\"They (local governments) overinflate the number of refugees
\nin their areas to obtain extra funds from the central
\ngovernment,\" he said.<\/p>\n
For example, he said, the regent of Atambua in East Nusa
\nTenggara, inflated the number of East Timorese refugees in the
\narea to 80,000 from the actual of 60,000.<\/p>\n
\"I have referred this case to the provincial government for
\nproper action so that it will not happen again in the future,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Chamsah declined to specify on the exact amount of money that
\nhas been embezzled by the corrupt officials or whether those
\nofficials involved would be reprimanded or asked to pay back the
\nmoney.<\/p>\n
The ministry has sought to change its policy on distribution
\nof funds for refugees. All reports will have to be prepared by
\nlocal offices of social affairs in the future.<\/p>\n
According to Chamsah, the central government allocated Rp 1
\ntrillion for the 1.3 million refugees and internally displaced
\npeople (IDPs) across the country.<\/p>\n
Most of the displaced people are those who have been displaced
\nby communal or political conflicts that continue to flare up
\nsince the fall of the authoritarian New Order government in 1998.<\/p>\n
Chamsah was in Palu to inspect distribution of relief aid for
\nrefugees in Poso, some 225 km east of Palu. Poso was the scene of
\nbloody sectarian conflicts which have claimed hundreds of lives.
\n-- Antara<\/p>",
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