137,049 disadvantaged families to get cheap rice

JAKARTA (JP): A total of 137,049 disadvantaged families in the city are to receive cheap rice for six months as compensation from the government for the recent fuel price hike, Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso said on Friday.

Sutiyoso said that thus far the city administration had distributed cheap rice to 116,431 families.

"Over the next six months, we are to receive additional cheap rice for 20,618 families," the governor said after attending a ceremony to hand over the discounted rice to disadvantaged families in Cipinang, East Jakarta.

The cheap rice was symbolically handed over by Minister of Home Affairs and Regional Autonomy Surjadi Soedirdja to representatives of the recipient families.

Surjadi said that each of the targeted families would now receive 20 kilograms of rice at a price of Rp 1,000 per kilogram (less than 10 U.S. cents) every month.

Previously, the families only received 10 kilograms of the cheap rice.

Besides the discounted rice program, Surjadi said the government would also conduct several programs for the poor to help them cope with the impact of the fuel price hike.

One of the programs would be extending scholarships to elementary school students from poor families.

"Other programs which will be conducted include giving free health services to the poor, and helping with bus transportation and potable water," he said.

The government had earlier promised to provide a subsidy of Rp 216 billion to bus operators in 20 cities across the country, following its decision to increase fuel prices on June 16.

However, as the city administration had decided to increase bus fares, the government dropped the subsidy for city bus operators.

Nevertheless, some city councillors called on the city administration to take the subsidy fund and use it to finance poverty alleviation programs. (jun)