Government plans center to care for street children

Government plans center to care for street children

JAKARTA (JP): The government yesterday decided to open up an
information center to deal with the problem of street children.

The center will coordinate the activities of various private
foundations which look after the interests of street children,
according to Suyono Yahya, the secretary to Coordinating Minister
of People's Welfare Azwar Anas.

Azwar yesterday held a monthly meeting with ministers under
his charge, including those holding the portfolios of social
services, religious affairs, population and women's affairs, the
Antara news agency reported.

During the meeting it was disclosed that the number of street
children in Indonesia's large cities has been rising and that
although a number of private foundations are already active in
caring for them, greater coordination is necessary.

Minister of Social Services Inten Suweno, according to Suyono,
plans to encourage people to take them in as foster children so
that they could become productive citizens one day.

The meeting also agreed on the need to tighten restrictions on
the import of traditional Chinese medicines into Indonesia.

Under a recent agreement signed by the ministers of health of
the two countries in Beijing, the Chinese authorities agreed to
pool all medicines it exports to Indonesia through a health
agency which certifies the products, Suyono said.

These medicines must also be subject to inspection by the Food
and Drug Supervision Agency of the Ministry of Health, he added.

Traditional Chinese medicines have become popular in Indonesia
in recent years.

Another decision made at the meeting yesterday was to expand
military training for school and university students in
Indonesia.

"If in the past, they were taught mostly theory, in the
future, they should also be involved in training in national
defense," Suyono said. (emb)