Donations for Aceh from business communities take many forms
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The catastrophic earthquake and tsunamis that ravaged much of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam and North Sumatra have prompted companies to pour in donations of cash, goods and services, not only for the victims but also for volunteers.
Several airlines have offered discounted tickets for passengers going to Aceh to look for relatives and free trips for medical teams and volunteers.
Budget airlines Lion Air and Adam Air, for example, have made several free flights to the shattered province.
"Some people have money. We have airplanes, so that's what we are donating," said Adam Air spokeswoman Dyah Puspawardhani on Wednesday.
Lion Air spokesman Hasyim Arsal Alhabsi said more free flights would be arranged as Aceh recovered from the tragedy.
"At the moment, it is very difficult to get a time slot (to land) at the Banda Aceh airport. The government has prioritized foreign flights delivering aid and domestic scheduled flights," he said.
Merpati Nusantara Airlines will donate Rp 1,000 (11 US cents) to victims from every ticket it sells over the next three months.
"We sell between 250,000 and 300,000 tickets a month, so we expect to raise at least Rp 750 million," said corporate secretary Jaka Pujiyono.
The airline is preparing a charity flight specifically for aid workers, but is still waiting for a sufficient number of passengers, he said.
National flag carrier Garuda Indonesia is providing a 50 percent discount for passengers going to Aceh from Medan and Jakarta.
"These last two weeks, Garuda has subsidized the flights by Rp 1 billion," said strategic, planning and finance director Wiradharma B. Oka.
Regarding the tax cut introduced by the government last week for companies providing aid to victims of the tragedy, the airlines said they were not familiar with the mechanisms for obtaining the incentive.
To obtain the tax cut, businesses must obtain a receipt from the people or institutions that receive the donations and attach the receipt to their annual income tax bill.
Meanwhile, state-owned oil and gas firm PT Pertamina has pledged Rp 15 billion for tsunami victims. The money will be used to set up public kitchens and health clinics, and to rebuild damaged infrastructure.
Publicly listed PT United Tractors will send heavy equipment to help clear debris and excavate bodies still buried under the remains of houses and other buildings.
PT Roche Indonesia has donated antibiotics, quinine tablets and analgesics.
Korean companies Samsung Electronics Indonesia, LC Electronics Indonesia and Miwon have pledged $330,000, $270,000 and Rp 100 million, plus Rp 156 million of relief goods, respectively.