Rp. 1.3 billion grant from Japan

JAKARTA (JP): The Japanese government handed over yesterday a Rp 1.3 billion (US$ 469,774) grant to nine local governmental and nongovernmental projects aimed at facilitating and increasing awareness of such endeavors.

The grant was presented by Ambassador Taizo Watanabe to representatives of the nine projects at the Japanese Embassy.

He said the grant would be used for projects like rural electrification, poverty alleviation and small and middle enterprises (SMEs), all of which serve the common people's interest.

The grant was also aimed at helping nature preservation.

"In the past, we have emphasized government to government economic cooperation projects, but sometimes the common people do not feel its effects," Watanabe said.

The largest recipient was the Batu Bajanjang village rural electrification project in West Sumatra.

The grant will be used to install a micro hydropower facility to supply electricity to the village.

Ambassador Watanabe said the objective was not only to provide infrastructure to such projects but also raise awareness about people's needs.

"It's only a hundred kilometers from Jakarta and there is a village without electricity. People have to know that," Watanabe said.

"I hope we can promote people's awareness on the need to help those poor people," he said.

He said that while the grant was relatively small, grassroots assistance was most effective in promoting a cooperative spirit between Japan and Indonesia.

"The attention is more important than the amount of money," he said.

Other recipients of the grant included the Wallacea Marine Training Center in Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi and the orangutan conservation in Sangatta village, Kutai National Park, East Kalimantan. (10)