Hardiyanti serves meals to the needy
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Social Services Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana opened a campaign yesterday to lessen the blows of the monetary crisis by offering 400 free meals to needy workers at Tanjung Priok Port.
The Managing Impacts of the Monetary Crisis Program aims at providing the poor with cheap but nutritious meals. It is paid for by the first-year salaries donated by President Soeharto and his cabinet ministers, and by donations from business tycoons. The program will be expanded nationwide.
In Jakarta, the program will offer the 15,000 free meals worth Rp 1,500 each in the five mayoralties. A meal consists of rice, a piece of tempeh, vegetables and half an egg.
In the recent first cabinet meeting, President Soeharto pledged to give his and his ministers' salaries for poverty alleviation programs in a show of government concern over the impact of the worsening economic crisis on the poor.
In Jakarta, meals will be prepared by Warung Tegal, roadside food stalls run by migrants from Tegal, Central Java. The stalls are most popular among low-income people because of their cheap prices.
"The five mayoralties are in charge of managing the program and supervising it," said Hardiyanti, Soeharto's eldest daughter who is better known as Tutut.
She said her ministry had collected Rp 3 billion for the program and that more was expected to pour in.
The deputy governor for welfare affairs, Djailani, is to coordinate the program in the capital along with the five city mayors.
Mayoralties have each received Rp 40 million to begin the program. Some 80 food stalls will be involved in each mayoralty.
The needy will receive coupons to be exchanged for the free meals.
This is a crash program meant to support other national campaigns launched earlier in a bid to cope with the crisis, she said.
"This movement will go along with other programs, such as the distribution of nine basic commodities at affordable prices and the labor-intensive projects."
Laborers are the program's main target because they bear the brunt of the economic crisis as prices soar but their purchasing power decline, she added.
Attending the launching were Minister of Cooperatives and Small Enterprises Subiakto Tjakrawerdaja, Minister of Women's Affairs Tutty Alawiah, Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Agung Laksono and Minister of Health Farid Anfasa Moeloek.
Senior city officials on hand were City Police Chief Maj. Gen. Hamami Nata, Jakarta Military Chief of Staff Brig. Gen. Sudi Silalahi, Deputy Governor Djailani and all city mayors.
Participating port workers said they were pleased by the move.
After the launching, all ministers in attendance visited the port's food stalls involved in the program.
Mayors told The Jakarta Post they were ready for its implementation.
East Jakarta Mayor Sudarsono said he contributed rice worth almost Rp 21 million to ensure the program's success.
"We are carefully listing the people who will receive the meal so that there will be no corruption," he said.
Hardiyanti noted that the program was also aimed at educating people on the need to help others in a time of crisis.
"I hope people will care and be more sensitive to the plight of others," she said. (edt)