USAID vows to donate $6m worth of implants

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)