WFP blames NGO for distributing bad rice<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The World Food Program (WFP) blamed a non-
\ngovernmental organization (NGO), Pangan for the Poor (Param), on
\nMonday for distributing poor quality rice over the past few
\nmonths.<\/p>\n
"Unlike other NGOs, Param didn't check the quality of rice
\nbefore distributing it to low-income residents. All NGOs must
\ncheck the rice a week before distribution to avoid such cases," a
\nWFP representative in Indonesia, Philip J. Clarke, told reporters
\nat a media briefing.<\/p>\n
He was responding to Param's allegation last Tuesday that WFP
\nprovided bad quality rice for low-income residents and that the
\nJakarta Logistics Agency (Dolog) sold the rice aid to flour
\nmills.<\/p>\n
"I am sorry that Param told the public that State Logistics
\nAgency (Bulog) had sold WFP's rice. Perhaps it (Param) has a
\npolitical motive behind its statement," he said. "It was pure and
\nsimple misinformation."<\/p>\n
Clarke said WFP gave the rice to Bulog warehouses in Jakarta
\nand Surabaya in a swap arrangement.<\/p>\n
"The rice was from donor countries. It was medium quality, 25
\npercent of which contained rice fragments," he said.<\/p>\n
"It was the Provincial Logistics Agencies (Dolog) which
\ndistributed the rice to beneficiaries across the country. The
\nrice was taken from the local Dolog warehouses."<\/p>\n
"This way, we could speed up distribution rather than shipping
\nthe rice, which was stored in Jakarta and Surabaya, to the
\nprovincial agencies," he added.<\/p>\n
He said the agency could sell the rice aid as a result of the
\nswap arrangement.<\/p>\n
"The rice belongs to the agency as long as it can provide the
\nsame quality to low-income residents as requested by WFP. Except
\nfor giving or selling the rice to the military, it can be sold or
\nused at their disposal," he said.<\/p>\n
"Param has distributed rice to 160,000 households out of 2.9
\nmillion beneficiaries in Greater Jakarta, Bandung, Semarang and
\nSurabaya. The low quality rice was a small percentage as we did
\nnot have problems with the other 13 NGOs cooperating with us in
\nthe distribution," he added.<\/p>\n
There were 5.2 million beneficiaries nationwide, 400,000 of
\nwhich live in the Greater Jakarta area, he said.<\/p>\n
He added that WFP allocated 200,000 tons of rice for Indonesia
\nand had so far distributed 152,000 tons, with 8,000 tons
\ndistributed per month.<\/p>\n
Clarke disclosed a plan to request the continuation of its
\noperation in Indonesia for another 18 months at February's WFP
\nmeeting in Rome.<\/p>\n
"The next distribution will provide 171,000 tons of rice for
\n2.4 million beneficiaries throughout the country," he said.<\/p>\n
Another WFP executive, Bishow B. Parajuli, said the
\norganization called Param four times to resolve the problem.<\/p>\n
"It's a pity that they didn't respond to our calls," he said.<\/p>\n
He dismissed the possibility that the agency's warehouses were
\nunsuitable to store rice.<\/p>\n
"Speaking from technical and management points of view, the
\nagency's warehouses are among the best in the world," he said.<\/p>\n
An executive of Bulog, Masdulhaq Yumm, said the agency had to
\nprovide better quality rice should the medium quality from WFP no
\nlonger be available.<\/p>\n
"We have booked losses with this arrangement. Nevertheless,
\nit's part of our obligation," he said, without providing data on
\nthe exact amount of losses. (05)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/wfp-blames-ngo-for-distributing-bad-rice-1447893297",
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