Provinces get grant

JAKARTA: Japan, through its embassy here, has granted 877 million yen (Rp 17.5 billion) to four provinces in eastern Indonesia.

The grant for East Nusa Tenggara, North Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi and Irian Jaya was presented here Thursday by Japanese Ambassador to Indonesia Taizo Watanabe to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' director general for foreign economy, Soemadi DM Brotodiningrat.

The grant is the sixth of its kind for fiscal year 1996-1997. Soemadi added that it would come in the form of irrigation machinery and drinking water facilities. (swe)