Industrial estate holds bazaar for poor neighbors
Industrial estate holds bazaar for poor neighbors
Abdul Khalik
The Jakarta Post/Jakarta
After queuing for almost half an hour, Aminah, 34, received a
ticket to buy a package of basic commodities in a bazaar at the
Jababeka Industrial Estate in Cikarang, Bekasi, West Java on
Sunday.
"Thank God, I can buy rice, cooking oil and sugar for only Rp
20,000. This will really relieve the burden on us for at least a
week. I wish that I could buy more packages for the Idul Fitri
celebration," she told The Jakarta Post.
Aminah, who lives with her husband and three children near the
industrial estate, was just one of thousands of poor families who
flocked to the bazaar to buy basic commodity packages at heavily
discounted prices on Sunday.
Each package contained two kilograms of sugar, five kilograms
of rice, two liters of cooking oil, one can of milk and five
packages of instant noodle.
The market prices of the goods was Rp 50,000 (US$5), but they
were sold for just Rp 20,000.
Each family was entitled to buy one package and had to show a
document that confirmed their poverty.
By Sunday evening, the 13-day bazaar, which President Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono opened last Oct. 12, had sold 9,500 packages.
The proceeds would be used to buy basic commodities to be
distributed free of charge to poor families living in three
districts surrounding the Jababeka Industrial Estate.
Aside from the packages, the bazaar also offered low-priced
goods, including clothes, shoes and housewares in over 100
booths.
Jababeka corporate marketing manager Agus H. Canny said the
bazaar was part of the solidarity programs launched by Susilo to
help the poor.
"All packages in the bazaar were contributed by businesspeople
in the industrial estate. This is the medium by which wealthy
people can help the less fortunate. With this bazaar, we hope we
can help poor people to cope with fuel price hike," he told the
Post.
"We subsidized the bazaar with Rp 1.2 billion so far. We
intend to make the bazaar an annual event so that we can continue
helping the poor each year," he said.
The government and private sector have joined hands in helping
poor families, which according to a report number around 40
million, to ease the bite of the fuel price increases of Oct. 1.
Each of the five municipalities in Jakarta have also been
organizing bazaars to help the poor.
In Depok, West Java, the local trade and industry agency are
holding bazaars in seven subdistricts from Oct. 17 to Oct. 26.
"This is a routine event for us. We want to help the poor
during Ramadhan," said Amanullah Sarwi, head of the business
education and consumer protection section at the agency.
He said that his office has provided 240 kilograms of sugar,
240 kilograms of cooking oil, 45 boxes of instant noodle, 192
tins of milk, 240 boxes of detergent and 240 bottles of ketchup
for each bazaar.
Abdul Khalik
The Jakarta Post/Jakarta
After queuing for almost half an hour, Aminah, 34, received a
ticket to buy a package of basic commodities in a bazaar at the
Jababeka Industrial Estate in Cikarang, Bekasi, West Java on
Sunday.
"Thank God, I can buy rice, cooking oil and sugar for only Rp
20,000. This will really relieve the burden on us for at least a
week. I wish that I could buy more packages for the Idul Fitri
celebration," she told The Jakarta Post.
Aminah, who lives with her husband and three children near the
industrial estate, was just one of thousands of poor families who
flocked to the bazaar to buy basic commodity packages at heavily
discounted prices on Sunday.
Each package contained two kilograms of sugar, five kilograms
of rice, two liters of cooking oil, one can of milk and five
packages of instant noodle.
The market prices of the goods was Rp 50,000 (US$5), but they
were sold for just Rp 20,000.
Each family was entitled to buy one package and had to show a
document that confirmed their poverty.
By Sunday evening, the 13-day bazaar, which President Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono opened last Oct. 12, had sold 9,500 packages.
The proceeds would be used to buy basic commodities to be
distributed free of charge to poor families living in three
districts surrounding the Jababeka Industrial Estate.
Aside from the packages, the bazaar also offered low-priced
goods, including clothes, shoes and housewares in over 100
booths.
Jababeka corporate marketing manager Agus H. Canny said the
bazaar was part of the solidarity programs launched by Susilo to
help the poor.
"All packages in the bazaar were contributed by businesspeople
in the industrial estate. This is the medium by which wealthy
people can help the less fortunate. With this bazaar, we hope we
can help poor people to cope with fuel price hike," he told the
Post.
"We subsidized the bazaar with Rp 1.2 billion so far. We
intend to make the bazaar an annual event so that we can continue
helping the poor each year," he said.
The government and private sector have joined hands in helping
poor families, which according to a report number around 40
million, to ease the bite of the fuel price increases of Oct. 1.
Each of the five municipalities in Jakarta have also been
organizing bazaars to help the poor.
In Depok, West Java, the local trade and industry agency are
holding bazaars in seven subdistricts from Oct. 17 to Oct. 26.
"This is a routine event for us. We want to help the poor
during Ramadhan," said Amanullah Sarwi, head of the business
education and consumer protection section at the agency.
He said that his office has provided 240 kilograms of sugar,
240 kilograms of cooking oil, 45 boxes of instant noodle, 192
tins of milk, 240 boxes of detergent and 240 bottles of ketchup
for each bazaar.