WB clarifies

WB clarifies

I would like to clarify some minor points on your article
titled Govt to discontinue rice subsidy for 565,000 families
(Sept. 12). It stated in the article that the "Rice for the poor"
program emulates the special market operation program (OPK),
which was first conducted in 1998 in the wake of the economic
crisis and funded by the World Bank.

We would like to clarify that the OPK was funded entirely from
the government budget and the World Bank has never provided funds
for the operation of this program. However, the World Bank did,
in conjunction with our lending program, supported the
government's efforts to improve the targeting program of the
safety program network (JPS) including OPK, monitor the
effectiveness of the programs, and establish mechanism to
safeguard these resources.

Our support to the targeting, monitoring and safeguarding
activities ended in December 2000 when most of the JPS program
ended.

MOHAMAD AL-ARIEF

Communications Officer

World Bank Office

Jakarta