Violence mars fuel cash aid distribution

Violence mars fuel cash aid distribution

Luh Putu Trisna Wahyuni, The Jakarta Post, Mataram

Hundreds of people attacked and vandalized local government
offices on Tuesday in West Lombok and Tangerang, signaling that
public frustration is growing over the messy distribution of fuel
compensation money across the archipelago.

Tuesday's incidents were the latest in a series of violent
incidents across the nation since the government started
disbursing cash aid to the poor to offset the impact of the fuel
price hikes on Oct. 1.

The fresh violence in West Lombok broke out after officials in
Bengkel subdistrict extorted money from residents collecting
their payments, with each being forced to pay Rp 100,000 out of
the Rp 300,000 due to them.

The residents said that local government officials were
waiting for them at the local post office where they were due to
receive their payments, threatening that they would be denied the
cash aid during the next payout if they refused to pay Rp 100,000
each.

The residents said they were stunned by the move. However they
felt there was nothing they could do except hand over the money.
According to Zaini, a resident, the people dispersed peacefully
after receiving their payments, but frustration grew as they made
their way home, and eventually culminated in an attack on the
subdistrict offices.

The angry residents vented their anger at the building,
hurling stones, and breaking chairs, desks and other items of
furniture. None of subdistrict officials were hurt as they
hurriedly left the scene.

Separately, similar violence, but with a different motive, took
place in Tangerang municipality where hundreds of residents
destroyed five subdistrict offices on the same day. The residents
were venting their rage after being excluded from the list of
poor people eligible to receive the compensation money.

These latest violent incidents are just some examples of how
messy the distribution of the fuel compensation funds has become
across the country. Part of the problem is due to erroneous
statistical data, with local statistics offices mistakenly
including better-off people on the lists of those eligible to
receive the assistance, while at the same time excluding poor
people from the lists, sparking anger among those thus excluded.
Problems also arose from the greed of local government officials,
who attempted to reap personal gain from the process.

The government itself has admitted that the distribution
process has been chaotic in a number of areas. Some regents have
acted to halt the distribution process, pending the collection of
improved statistical data, while also pledging to sternly punish
unscrupulous local officials taking advantage of the process.

The central government has so far acknowledged that the poor
quality of the statistical data has meant that some 500,000
families, out of a total of 15.4 million families eligible to
receive the money, had not done so thus far. The government has
said it will improve the quality of the statistics and ensure
that all those entitled to the money will receive it. Those
categorized as eligible to receive the money are those with
monthly incomes of below Rp 175,000 (US$17.5).