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