Oyos Saroso H.N., The Jakarta Post, Bandarlampung | Wed, 03/03/2010 12:39 PM
Many deprived residents in Lampung cannot afford rice from the rice-for-the-poor package program distributed by the State Logistics Agency (Bulog), which is priced at Rp 2,000 (20 US cents) a kilogram.
As a result, more than 75 percent of the rice packages have remained at the agency's warehouse.
"I have to pay Rp 30,000 for 15 kilograms of rice. Although the price is cheaper compared to that at the market, that amount is still difficult for us," said package recipient Nuriyah, from North Telukbetung, Bandarlampung.
She said her husband earned Rp 20,000 daily.
Rice at markets is priced at Rp 6,500 per kilogram.
In Lampung, many families, like Nuriyah's, cannot afford to buy the rice-for-poor packages.
Lampung Bulog spokesman Edi Hanif said the actual price of the rice was only Rp 1,600 per kilogram.
However, in practice, the rice is often sold to underprivileged people at Rp 2,000.
"While the rice prices in the market are still high, many people have not benefited from the subsidized rice from the government," Edi said.
"This is because distribution officers have set a higher price than the fixed price of Rp 1,600 per kilogram. People from the low-income bracket still regard the price as high."
The Rp 2,000 tag was blamed for a drop in distribution targets in January, which had been set to reach 11,099,910 kilograms for 739,994 recipient families.
"Only 5,020,595 kilograms of the rice were distributed to 334,706 poor families, which accounted only 45.23 percent of the target," Edi said.
The government has released the rice packages in a bid to alleviate the burden of poor families.
"The package is essential to raise food reliance of poor families," Edi said.
The Lampung legislative council has found indications of irregularities in distributing the rice, such as the fact that many families received a smaller amount than the regulated 15 kilograms per family.
"This must be investigated thoroughly. I believe dishonest officers and rice hoarders are involved. We speculate the rice packages are being released to the market and sold at market prices," said legislator Ahmad Nyerupa from the Golkar Party.
Nyerupa suspected corrupt officers of reducing the distribution ration and of hiking the prices.
"They have cut the ration to 13 kilograms from the fixed 15 kilograms in Central Lampung, Tanggamus, West Lampung and Bandarlampung."
Lampung Bulog head Ibnusiam Mawardi said he would immediately examine the findings.
He said the rice-for-poor program this year should be able to exempt the recipients from paying if the Lampung provincial administration could cover the cost for the rice from its 2010 budget.
