Poor people receive double cards

JEMBER, East Java: Confusion lingers in the cash assistance program, with hundreds of low-income families in Jember, East Java receiving two fuel compensation cards.

Discovering the mistake, Jember councillor Misbahus Salam demanded on Thursday that the local statistics office investigate the matter and rectify the situation.

Meanwhile, Antara news agency reported on Thursday that 14,922 of the 157,363 low-income families in the regency had received the cash assistance of Rp 300,000 per family.

Under the government scheme, every family with an income of less than Rp 175,000 a month is eligible to receive cash assistance of Rp 300,000 per quarter. The scheme was designed to help offset the effects of the Oct. 1 fuel price increases. -- JP