2,600 poor families get rice donation

BOGOR (JP): At least 2,640 families in West Bogor district each received 5 kilograms of rice on Tuesday to help them cope with the effects of the prolonged economic crisis.

The rice donation, which was part of food aid provided by the Singaporean government, was handed over by M. Djumala, the Mayor of Bogor's assistant for administration and development affairs.

"West Bogor is among six districts in the mayoralty that have been given rice donations," Djumala said, adding that the Bogor mayoralty had received approximately 46 tons of rice from the government of Singapore.

However, he said the donation was far from enough to help all of the 4,794 families now classified as poor in the mayoralty.

Mayoralty secretary R. Iswara Natanegara said the central government had provided Rp 2.8 billion from the social safety net fund to help poor families in the area.

The money will be used to finance job creation projects, he added. (24/hhr)