Emergency fund disbursement

TANGERANG (JP): Disbursement of an emergency fund amounting to Rp 7.9 billion has been hindered in Tangerang by failures on the part of the Village Resilience Boards (LKMD) to meet the set requirements, an official said on Saturday.

Most proposals submitted by the LKMD executives in 104 villages/subdistricts were returned, Tangerang Mayor H. Moch. Thamrin said, without giving details of the unfulfilled requirements.

"The funds were originally designed to be disbursed by the end of next month at the latest. But due to unfulfilled requirements, it will possibly be postponed," Thamrin said.

He said the inability of the LKMD executives to meet requirements was caused mainly by poor knowledge of how the fund would be used.

Data at the mayoralty office showed that the fund, created by the central government to help poor people cope with the worst impacts of the economic crisis, had already been transferred to the Tangerang branch of state Bank Rakyat Indonesia.

"It will immediately be channeled to the bank accounts of each district as soon as requirements are fulfilled," Roestiwi, a secretary of the Tangerang office of the National Development Planning Agency, said.

Out of the Rp 7.9 billion fund, Rp 3.17 billion would be used to finance repair work on several roads and irrigation facilities as well as public buildings and Rp 3.92 billion is to be lent to small-scale businessmen. (41/hhr)