Indonesia sends plywood to Kobe

Indonesia sends plywood to Kobe

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia is sending 100,000 pieces of high quality concrete plywood to Japan to help in the reconstruction of several Japanese cities that were devastated by a powerful earthquake this month.

Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono, who announced the government aid to Indonesia's biggest aid donor country yesterday, put the value of the plywood shipment at about $1 million.

The aid is "an expression of our concern and solidarity with the human beings affected there," Moerdiono said. "The government of Indonesia has decided to provide assistance to help ease the suffering and also to help in the reconstruction of buildings destroyed in the Kobe area."

"Indonesia's capability to help is limited," the minister admitted. "But the assistance will soon be delivered to those who need the plywood."

Concrete plywood is widely used in constructing bridges and other structures. The plywood is also appropriate for housing construction, he explained.

Nearly 6,000 people were killed in the earthquake, the worst to hit Japan this century. The city of Kobe, also the epicenter of the quake, suffered the most destruction.

Japan has been Indonesia's largest aid donor country and also a major source of direct foreign investment. (emb)