Many subdistricts can't pay cheap rice

JAKARTA (JP): Most of the 265 subdistricts getting cheap rice amounting to 1,595 tons from the Jakarta chapter of the National Logistics Agency (Dolog Jaya) over the last four months were unable to pay for the commodity, an official said on Monday.

Djodjo Sutardjo of the city's regional economic bureau said, "Only Rp 244 million has thus far been paid into our account at the government-run Bank DKI. It should have been Rp 1.59 billion by now."

The distribution of the 1,595 tons of rice, which was sold at only Rp 1,000 per kilogram as compared to the market price of over Rp 3,000 per kilogram, was intended mainly to help families living below the poverty line, Djodjo said.

Each family got 10 kilograms, he said. "All of the 265 subdistrict have failed to pay since September," he said.

Djodjo said that the subdistrict heads were formerly told to own up if they could not afford payment, but each subdistrict head said that the residents had the money and it would take time to collect the funds.

"I think it is merely because of the pride of the subdistrict heads. They don't want to own up that they cannot afford to pay."

Meanwhile, data from the regional economic bureau showed that the city was home to 62,784 families living below the poverty line in November, up from 57,218 in October. (ylt)