Kalibaru poor families want more aid

Kalibaru poor families want more aid

JAKARTA (JP): Forty poor families living in Kalibaru
subdistrict in North Jakarta asked the government over the
weekend to provide them with more financial aid to develop their
small businesses.

Asikin, a head of the neighborhood community, said that his
group has difficulties developing and marketing their products,
particularly pillows, owing to a dearth of capital.

He said he has received Rp 400,000 (US$173.91) in aid from his
subdistrict through the least-developed villages aid scheme
(IDT).

The IDT scheme was first introduced by the government in 1993
in an effort to eradicate poverty. The government provides Rp 20
million in no-interest loans for the residents living in each
village considered under-developed.

"I have paid back the aid to the government. I have also
proposed that the head of the subdistrict should another Rp 1.5
million in aid," he told The Jakarta Post.

He makes the pillows from cloths, buying the textiles from a
garment factory in Kawasan Berikat Nusantara bonded zone, in
Cakung.

The father of five children sells the pillows locally. "We
sell directly to consumers in order to get back the capital
quickly," he added.

Asikin said he and his members, who are mostly small-scale
traders, food vendors and fishermen have received aid amounting
to an average of between Rp 100,000 and Rp 500,000.

He said his group received a letter of appreciation plus Rp 2
million in cash from President Soeharto on Jan.10 for its second
best-community development.

He said the group is now breeding fresh-water fish, using the
cash prize from the President as the capital.

Wati, whose husband is a fisherman, urged the government to
continue providing financial aid to the group. She got Rp 150,000
of the IDT funds.

"If we want to improve the welfare of the group, the sum of
the aid should be increased," she said.

Meanwhile, the head of Kalibaru sub-district, Umar Nasution
said there are 400 poor families who have yet to receive funds
under the IDT program.

He said his office has received Rp 20 million a year through
the IDT funds since last year.

"The funds are lent to the families without interest," he
said, adding that the repayment of the soft loans has posed no
problem to them so far.

Some 1,600 families in the sub-district have received a soft
loan, he added.

Earlier on Thursday, the head of the city's IDT program,
Budihardjo Sukmadi reported to the governor that some 7,000 of
Jakarta's poor families have received funds through the IDT
scheme. He said most of the recipients are fishermen.

According to the Central Bureau of Statistics a Jakarta family
is considered living below the poverty line if it earns below Rp
50,000 a month.

Based on bureau figures, 56.67 percent of the families who get
IDT funds earn above Rp 60,000 per month. (jun)