Cheap rice for the poor stolen

Cheap rice for the poor stolen

Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso was upset upon hearing that the
central government had distributed cheap rice for poor families
in Jakarta without his awareness.

He said that it was the city administration that is the most
informed about the number of poor families and where they live in
the capital city. Sutiyoso became even angrier after housewives
in Klender, East Jakarta, complained that no single family in the
area has received the cheap rice, worth Rp 1,000 per kilogram.

Locals said that each family should have received 10 kilograms
in December.

Subdistrict officials denied the reports, claiming that the
rice had been distributed through the neighborhood chiefs. Thus,
it is the neighborhood chiefs that must be responsible for the
distribution.

Shockingly the central rice market in Cipinang, East Jakarta,
reported that some people, reportedly from the Klender
subdistrict office and several neighborhood chiefs had tried to
sell cheap rice to a rice seller in the market.

Distribution is obviously the main problem in such a scheme.
Therefore non-governmental organizations always voice their
concern about the implementation of compensation programs for
poor families.

We just hope that whoever is in charge of distributing the
rice or anything else for the poor will have the compassion not
to steal or misuse what the poor families deserve.

-- Warta Kota, Jakarta