305 riot victims receive loans

JAKARTA (JP): Three hundred and five small-scale traders in the city whose shops were looted and destroyed in last month's violent riots have received concessional loans worth Rp 483.5 million (US$20,220) to restart their businesses.

The assistance was provided by four state-owned companies, consisting of surveyor firm PT Sucofindo (Rp 185 million), toll- road operator PT Jasa Marga (Rp 100 million), airport operator Perum Angkasa Pura (Rp 100 million) and seaport operator PT Pelindo (Rp 100 million), Antara reported.

It, however, did not disclose from where the remaining Rp 1.5 million would come.

The financial assistance was presented to the traders at a ceremony at the Ministry of Cooperatives and Small Enterprises on Wednesday.

Among the witnesses were host Minister of Cooperatives and Small Enterprises Adi Sasono, Minister of Trade and Industry Rahardi Ramelan and State Logistics Agency chief Beddu Amang, it said.

Payable over a period of three years, the loans carry an interest rate of 6 percent per annum and can be rolled over for three months, Adi Sasono said.

The loans are directly channeled through traders groups and individuals, and provided with the approval of the Jakarta office of the Ministry of Cooperatives and Small Enterprises and city- owned traditional market operator PD Pasar Jaya.

Some 5,000 buildings, including malls, marketplaces, shops and kiosks were looted and set on fire by mobs during mid-May riots, causing trillions of rupiah in material losses and claiming over 1,000 lives. (bsr)