Congress to discuss social safety net program

JAKARTA (JP): The social safety net program will be at the top of the agenda at the national congress of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Family Welfare Institute when it opens here next month.

President B.J. Habibie will open the institute's sixth congress at the State Palace next month, although subsequent sessions of the congress will take place in East Java, NU officials said on Friday.

Ilyas Ruhiyat, the chairman of the NU's law making body, said the congress would focus its attention on several social issues, including the promotion of family planning and family welfare programs and education.

"Discussion of the social safety net programs will be high on our agenda," Ilyas said after meeting the President at Merdeka Palace. The program is under the spotlight with several parties questioning the transparency of the use of its funds.

Habibie was accompanied to the meeting by Minister of Religious Affairs Malik Fajar and State Minister of Women Affairs Tutty Alawiyah.

Ilyas was accompanied by the institute's chairman Andi M. Ramly and NU deputy chairman Rozy Munir. The NU, which is chaired by Abdurrahman Wahid, is the country's largest Muslim organization.

Rozy said the institute had worked since 1977 to promote and increase awareness of family planning and contraceptives.

He said it had succeeded in promoting the use of condoms, contraceptive pills and injections, and vasectomies.

"We are working hard to get family planning widely accepted," said Rozy.

Last week, the government of Singapore asked the NU to distribute humanitarian aid which included medicine and 500 metric tons of rice destined for people in East and Central Java. The donation was part aid worth S$12 million (US$7.2 million) pledged by Singapore last July.

Muhammadiyah, the country's second largest Muslim organization, was also asked to distribute humanitarian aid donated by the government of Singapore. (prb)