Shoes project is counterproductive: Haryono Suyono<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Controversy continued yesterday over a private
\nshoe company's plan to sell its products directly to schools,
\nseemingly with the Ministry of Education and Culture's
\nendorsement.<\/p>\n
State Minister of Population Haryono Suyono, activist Halimah
\nBambang Trihatmodjo and Moslem leader Amien Rais separately
\nissued statements yesterday over the reported attempt of PT Nusa
\nPakarti to monopolize shoe sales targeting some 26.5 million
\nelementary school students.<\/p>\n
Haryono warned that the company's project was
\n"counterproductive" to the government program to ensure that all
\npoor children be able to go to school. He said it was also
\nagainst the national program to alleviate poverty, affecting some
\n11.5 million families throughout the country.<\/p>\n
Haryono, who is also chairman of the National Family Planning
\nBoard (BKKBN), described how poor families struggled to buy
\nclothes and eat two meals per day and tried to send their
\nchildren to school.<\/p>\n
"They find it hard to finance their children's education, let
\nalone buy shoes," Haryono told reporters after meeting with
\nPresident Soeharto at the latter's residence on Jl. Cendana.<\/p>\n
The Jakarta-based company, owned by President Soeharto's
\ngrandson Ari Sigit, has reportedly launched the first stage of
\nits project, selling its shoes directly to schools in the East
\nand West Java provinces.<\/p>\n
The company claimed it had the endorsement of the Ministry of
\nEducation and Culture and that it planned to donate some of its
\nprofits from the project to various charities, including the
\nIndonesian Foster Parents Movement, whose mission is to help send
\npoor children to school.<\/p>\n
Haryono denied endorsing the project, as did the chairwoman of
\nthe Indonesian Foster Parents Movement, Halimah Bambang
\nTrihatmodjo.<\/p>\n
In a written statement issued Monday, Halimah, who is also
\nSoeharto's second daughter-in-law, denied the movement had any
\nconnection with the plan.<\/p>\n
"We give free shoes, uniforms and scholarships to poor
\nchildren ... and we do not have any relationship with the
\ncompany," Halimah said.<\/p>\n
The so-called uniform shoes project, bearing the logo OSIS and
\ncosting Rp 21,000 (US$7.50) per pair, sparked protest by parents
\nwho said they still felt they had to buy the shoes as the deal
\nwas arranged through schools.<\/p>\n
Halimah disclosed that her charity organization could provide
\nmuch cheaper shoes. "The protest over the shoes is very natural
\nbecause the price is too expensive," she said.<\/p>\n
"The price will not be a problem for rich families, but will
\nbe for the poor," Haryono noted.<\/p>\n
Separately in Yogyakarta, Amien Rais said that Muhammadiyah,
\nthe 28-million strong Moslem organization that he chairs,
\nstrongly rejected the project, alleging it as tantamount to
\n"collusion".<\/p>\n
In a statement titled Jangan Rugikan Rakyat (Don't Inflict
\nPeople with Losses), Amien said most Indonesians' buying power
\nwas too low for the expensive shoes.<\/p>\n
"It's two to three times more expensive than the same type of
\nshoes at a marketplace," said Amien, who is also a political
\nscience lecturer at Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta.<\/p>\n
"The monthly elementary school fees in most villages in
\nIndonesia range from only Rp 500 to Rp 1,000, and some 30 percent
\nto 50 percent of students in many villages, let alone in poor
\nvillages, have to go to school barefoot," he said.<\/p>\n
In Amien's estimation, the shoe company would reap as much as
\nRp 7.6 trillion if the project proceeded as planned.<\/p>\n
"How much of this money will go to the state?" quipped Amien,
\nwho was accompanied by his deputy Syafii Maarif.<\/p>\n
Amien said the project should be stopped because it would
\ninflict a great loss to most people and that it ran against the
\nspirit of the antimonopoly campaign.<\/p>\n
He also called on thousands of schools run by Muhammadiyah
\nacross the country to refuse to buy the shoes. (prb\/23\/aan)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/shoes-project-is-counterproductive-haryono-suyono-1447893297",
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