Cheap meals from officials' wives

BOGOR (JP): Members of the Bogor Civil Servants' Wives Association sold 2,000 cheap meals to the poor in East Bogor subdistrict yesterday.

The food packages were sold for Rp 500 each to people who have become unable to make the ends meet because of the economic crisis.

The meals, consisting of rice, egg, tempeh and vegetables, were distributed at five bus terminals, the Ciawi roundabout, and at an ojek (motorcycle taxi) terminal.

Sukiya, the mayor of Bogor's assistant for administration and development affairs, said the sale of food would continue every Tuesday and Friday for one year.

The initiative, Sukiya said, was in response to the West Java Governor's call for regents and mayoralties to provide affordable food to the unemployed.

He said the local administration had subsidized each meal by Rp 300. The true cost of each meal was Rp 800. (24/ivy)