Poor say rice prices are still out of reach

JAKARTA (JP): Although the government is heavily subsidizing rice for the poor, many still find themselves unable to buy large quantities of the staple food due to a lack of cash.

Poor families residing in Sukatani village in Cisoka subdistrict are among those who say they can no longer afford to purchase the government-subsidized rice, even though the price is three to four times lower than in the market.

Tuti, 30, told visiting officials, including Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare/Poverty Eradication Haryono Suyono in a meeting on Saturday that her family formerly purchased the government's 10-kilogram rice package -- priced at Rp 1,000 per kilogram -- to last them a month.

But last month, she added, her family could only collect Rp 5,000 toward the purchase.

She queued at the local Logistics Agency (Dolog) office for the rice on Aug. 19.

When her turn came, Tuti revealed her problem to the Dolog officials in charge and asked whether she could still buy 10 kilograms, instead of the five kgs she was entitled to with Rp 5,000.

She was taken aback when the staff rejected her request, saying that Dolog needed cash transactions only.

Dejected, Tuti went home with her five kilograms.

Her neighbors related similar desperate tales of trying to muster enough cash for the purchase.

After listening to the grim stories, Minister Haryono urged Tangerang Regent Agus Djunara to temporarily handle payments of the rice for the needy in the area.

The minister insisted that poor families should have 10 kilograms of the government-subsidized rice each every month.

Dolog's current payment system only served to further burden the poor families already hard hit in the crisis, Haryono was quoted as saying by Antara.

The irony is that while the poor can sometimes not buy the rice even at subsidized prices, the better off can purchase large amounts without strain.

The minister hoped the poor could buy the government- subsidized rice in installments.

In response to the minister's request, regent Djunara promised to allocate part of the regency's budget on helping the poor residents.

The regency is home to about 42,000 poor families.

Haryono's visit to several villages in Tangerang was aimed at observing glitches in the program prior to the official launching of the distribution of the government-subsidized rice to 7.3 million poor families nationwide beginning Oct. 1. (bsr)