Lack of funds hampers food aid distribution

JAKARTA (JP): State Minister of Food and Horticulture A.M. Saefuddin said on Tuesday that a lack of funds to finance transportations cost had caused problems in distributing food aid.

Saefuddin said several delays in distributing the aid was caused by the government's inability to provide huge funds to finance the distribution immediately.

"It would be easier for the government to speed up the distribution of rice and other food aid if transportation expenses were available," Saefuddin said at a luncheon with ambassadors and representatives from donor countries.

Under the agreement with donor countries, the government of Indonesia is responsible for all transportation costs for the distribution of the aid.

Previously, he said, the government sold some of the aid to raise funds needed to finance the distribution.

"But such a process takes time, whereas people badly need the food on time. The government is fully aware that is its responsibility to get the food aid right to the needy.

"However, recognizing problems and constraints as briefly described, I hope the donor countries will share the view that coordination should be carried out to clarify issues considered to be in conflict with the agreement," he said.

Philip J. Clarke, the country representative of the World Food Program (WFP) admitted the lack of funds was one of the obstacles to distributing food aid on time.

He said that WFP was assigned to supervise the distribution of aid in cooperation with the State Logistics Agency (Bulog), the Ministry of Agriculture's Mass Guidance Engineering Unit (Bimas), the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Social Services and non- governmental organizations.

"For example, the government has not yet approved the budget for some of our partners, including Bimas, to distribute the food aid to rural areas.

"We set a target to distribute it in June, but at the end of July we have yet to start distributing the aid," he said.

Clarke said that WFP had so far channeled US$135 million worth of food aid, including rice, wheat and blended food.

Saefuddin said the economic crisis plaguing Indonesia since early July 1997 had forced the country to become the world's largest recipient of food aid.

He said Indonesia had secured food aid commitments of 1.9 million metric tons of rice, 6,500 tons of skimmed milk and 260 tons of blended food for throughout the economic crisis period. (gis)