Rice for the poor to reach 39% of targeted people

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)