'Many more people need aid'

'Many more people need aid'

The government raised fuel prices on Oct. 1 after putting into
place a scheme that allocates low-income families Rp 100,000 a
month to alleviate the extra financial burden they must bear. The
Jakarta Post asked residents their opinion on the issue.

Muhammad, 35, is an activist with a non-governmental
organization dealing with environmental issues in South Jakarta.
He lives in Depok:

The cash assistance is politically motivated. It is aimed at
preventing people from reacting strongly to the fuel price hikes,
which of course affect low-income families.

Ideally, assistance for low-income families would be given
through poverty eradication programs, because with cash aid
people are not educated to live independently. But in an
emergency situation, cash aid is acceptable.

But I question the way in which the government selected the
people who are eligible for the aid. I look around and see that
there are many poor people not receiving the aid, while other
people who are more financially secure are getting the
assistance.

I hope the government will immediately correct such mistakes.

Narko, 40, works at a private company in Slipi, West Jakarta.
He lives in Ciputat, Tangerang:

The cash assistance is better than previous government
programs to assist the poor, like the social safety net. I think
cash aid is better and I believe that irregularities in the
distribution of the aid can be minimized.

The problem is that the number of people receiving the
assistance will be relatively small compared to the number of
people badly affected by the fuel price increases.

I think the government must prepare more assistance so that
more poor families can enjoy the aid.

-- The Jakarta Post