Red Cross seeks funds in malls

The Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) Jakarta chapter will start soliciting donations of Rp 1,000 (less than 11 U.S. cents) from taxi passengers, shoppers and car park users starting Oct. 1.

"No sanction will be imposed if someone refuses to donate," said fund-raising committee head Sukri Bey on Tuesday. "The fund is being raised to cover the Red Cross budget deficit."

Sukri, who is also the City Economy Administration Bureau head, said companies, such as Blue Bird Group and Royal City taxi operators, Secure Parking company and Carrefour, Hero and Superindo retailers had agreed to take part in the fund raising.

"We will put stickers inside taxis to inform passengers of the program. The drivers will then ask if the passengers would like to give a donation to the Red Cross," he said.

The fund raising will also be conducted in schools, movie theaters and recreational centers.

"We are also looking into the possibility of inviting pharmaceutical companies to join the program since they are also involved in health concerns," Sukri said.

PMI Jakarta chapter head Syarifuddin promised that the money collected in the three-month program would be audited by an independent auditor.

"The fund will be put in a separate bank account from PMI. When the program ends, the fund will be transferred to the PMI account," he said.

According to Syarifuddin, the fund will be used especially to finance the day-to-day operations of the Red Cross.

This year, the Red Cross aims to provide 230,000 bags of blood in Jakarta. However, as of Sep. 21, it had only managed to supply 184,448 bags of blood due to financial constraints. While blood is donated freely, funds are needed for blood donation drives and for the logistical requirements of such programs.

Last year, a similar fund-raising program managed to collect Rp 3.9 billion. -- JP