USAID vows to donate $6m worth of implants

JAKARTA (JP): U.S. Aid for International Development (USAID) has pledged to donate $6million worth of implants and intrauterine devices to Indonesia, a cabinet minister said yesterday.

State Minister of Population Haryono Suyono said the grant, equivalent to Rp 56 billion, was expected to arrive here next month.

"The aid means a lot, especially now we are facing a monetary crisis," Haryono said after meeting with President Soeharto at the Bina Graha presidential office.

Haryono added that several friendly countries and international agencies had also expressed their interest in helping Indonesia's family planning program.

He said he was worried that the current economic crisis would undermine the program because fewer people could afford to buy contraceptives.

According to Haryono, who is also chairman of the National Family Planning Board, the government has allocated $24 million to subsidize the production of contraceptives.

"This policy aims at keeping the prices of contraceptives at reasonable levels as we still import some of the raw materials," Haryono noted.

The minister said he had also asked some foreign and domestic companies to sell their products to the government at lower prices. (prb)