1.7m residents to get subsidy

JAKARTA: At least 1.7 million Jakarta residents are entitled to be part of the low-income assistance program to offset the fuel price hikes, according to an official.

Assistant to the city secretary for people's welfare Rohana Manggala said on Monday the figure was based on combined data issued by National Family Planning Coordination Agency (BKKBN) and the Central Statistics Agency (BPS).

"We are now asking all subdistrict heads across the city to make final checks on the number of poor families in their respective subdistricts," she said.

Jakarta will receive some Rp 1 trillion (US$111.11 million) out of Rp 16 trillion allocated by the central government for the program aimed at the poorest 17 percent of the country.

"The poorest people will be on the top of the list submitted by subdistrict heads. They will become our priority to receive the assistance funds," she said. --JP