Rice for the poor to reach 39% of targeted people

JAKARTA (JP): In a report to a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, State Minister of Food and Horticulture A.M. Saefuddin said the government's program providing cheap rice for the poor could reach 38.9 percent of the targeted 17.5 million people for the current fiscal year.

The minister expressed his confidence the target of the special market operation could be reached despite the fact that only 6.8 million had so far received the rice, which was sold for Rp 1,000 per kg, up to December last year.

"We are thinking of enlarging the special market operation to areas not yet registered, especially targeting poor urban families," Minister of Information Lt. Gen. Muhammad Yunus quoted Saefuddin as reporting during the cabinet meeting.

President B.J. Habibie chaired the monthly Cabinet meeting on people's welfare and poverty alleviation at the Bina Graha presidential office.

The meeting opened with a prayer for the victims of natural disasters including those killed in landslides in Gianyar, Bali and Garut, West Java. The prayer was led by Minister of Religious Affairs Malik Fadjar.

In July, Saefuddin said about 7.3 million crisis-hit families would receive subsidized medium-quality rice. Each family is expected to receive at least 20 kilograms.

Minister of Manpower Fahmi Idris reported the government had also carried out several labor intensive projects to help ease the unemployment problem. At least Rp 156 billion has been spent on projects in the public works sector, such as cleaning up canals, and the recruits were people who had lost their jobs because of the crisis.

Minister of Health Farid A. Moeloek reported many people in 19 provinces were suffering from iodine deficiency. Two of the provinces were considered to have many who were suffering from an acute lack of this vital substance.

"The President insists that the project providing iodine for the needy must run well, because it will influence the quality of our human resources in the future," Yunus remarked.

During the meeting, Habibie launched a national parcel program to provide free food for the poor to help them meet their needs during Ramadhan and next week's Idul Fitri Muslim holiday.

The President urged people who used to send parcels to their business partners, friends and relatives to substitute basic staple food items and then send them to the needy.

He would symbolically distribute 200,000 food packages worth Rp 5 billion. First Lady Hasri Ainun Habibie herself donated 25,000 packages worth Rp 500 million recently.

"Ibu Habibie received the money from voluntary donors," Minister of Social Services Justika Baharsjah said.

"The President said when people no longer need food the packages will contain high tech products," Justika added. She only laughed when asked whether the high tech products would include airplanes made by the Nusantara Aircraft Manufacturer (IPTN).

Apart from discussing the problems of poverty, Habibie also assured his Cabinet members again that they would not lose their jobs before the end of his term at the end of this year.

"There will be no Cabinet or Armed Forces leadership reshuffles," Yunus said with a smile. (prb)