Assistance scheme no help

Assistance scheme no help

From Kompas

The government's fuel subsidy compensation scheme remains a
mess. The public's fears that the direct cash assistance scheme
would become tainted by corruption have apparently been borne
out.

According to Vice President Jusuf Kalla and Coordinating
Minister for People's Welfare Alwi Shihab, serious misfeasance
has been afoot. The main problems are: many poor families, as
defined by the national statistics agency, have not received
their entitlement cards, many poor families have not been
registered, and the entitlement cards are being bought and sold.

The public welfare minister has announced that in order to
reduce the number of violations, the use of citizen's identity
cards or official certificates will be required. In practice,
however, a lot of people still don't understand the procedures
for claiming their entitlements.

Thus, the poor are once again being made the victims of theft
by unscrupulous people. The requirements for obtaining the money
have just caused headaches for many of those in need.

IRAWATI
Jakarta