Residents say free coupons from People's Bazaar help meet post-Eid needs
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Several Jakarta residents have stated that the distribution of free grocery shopping coupons at the People’s Bazaar in the Monas area, Central Jakarta, on Saturday, greatly assists in meeting basic needs following Eid al-Fitr.
“Praise be to God, this coupon means a lot to me. Because after Eid, there are so many needs that are beyond control,” said Ine Sugesti, a resident of Cempaka Putih Barat Subdistrict.
Ine explained that she obtained the coupon through data collection conducted by the government at the subdistrict level. She, along with a group of other residents, travelled to the Monas location using public transport that had been coordinated in advance.
According to Ine, the subdistrict office facilitated the residents’ departure to make it easier to reach the event site.
“We came here by TransJakarta, coordinated directly by the subdistrict office,” said Ine.
Similar appreciation was voiced by Siti Nuryati, a resident of Bungur Subdistrict, who said she was helped by the food aid. Siti noted that her household’s grocery stock had begun to dwindle after the Idulfitri celebrations.
“Conveniently, after Eid, the grocery needs at home are depleted, so this assistance is very helpful,” said Siti.
Meanwhile, Rahmawati from Cakung expressed her gratitude for being able to obtain various basic necessities without spending money. She was one of thousands of housewives who crowded the cheap market area.
“Praise be to God, it’s free,” said Rahmawati briefly.
In line with the other residents, Sanrani from Lubang Buaya Subdistrict conveyed her thanks for the government’s initiative in organising this cheap market festival. She hopes similar activities can become a regular agenda often held for the underprivileged community.
“Thank you to the President for this cheap market festival event; please hold it often,” said Sanrani.
The government has prepared a total of 100,000 shopping coupons worth Rp500,000 each for the People’s Bazaar at Monas. In addition to groceries, there are also 300,000 free meal portions prepared by hundreds of street vendor SMEs to maintain residents’ purchasing power after Eid.