ABRI learns retail business

JAKARTA (JP): About 120 personnel from the Armed Forces' cooperatives in Jakarta, Tangerang and Bekasi are taking part in a two-week management course here.

The course, opened Monday by Jakarta Military Command Chief of Staff Brig. Gen. Sudi Silalahi, aims at providing the personnel with basic skills of retail and accounting.

The course was decided upon after Minister of Cooperatives and Small Enterprises Subiakto Tjakrawerdaja appointed ABRI's Jakarta Cooperative as coordinator in the distribution of basic commodities to the needy.

ABRI cooperatives previously helped distribute staple foods sold at reduced prices nationwide to help alleviate people's economic burden during the economic crisis.

In March, Defense Minister/Armed Forces Commander Gen. Wiranto said that ABRI cooperatives helped control the prices of staple foods.

The cooperatives will also distribute staple foods produced in an agriculture project initiated by ABRI, which involves local people and students.

Last month, 300 soldiers from the Jakarta Military Command initiated a farming project in which idle plots of land in Bekasi and Tangerang are used to produce crops. (ivy)