Oyos Saroso H.N., The Jakarta Post, Bandarlampung | Sat, 05/29/2010 11:28 AM
Lampung Police are investigating alleged graft in the procurement of rice for the Rice-for-poor (Raskin) program following complaints of deliveries of spoiled rice.
"We are still investigating if graft was involved in the rice procurement," Lampung Police detectives unit chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Supriadi said recently.
The State Logistics Agency (Bulog) of Lampung office is reported to have stopped distributing 9,500 tons of rice to underprivileged residents following a recommendation by the Lampung legislative council.
"We have only distributed 500 tons. We're not sure when we'll distribute the remaining 9,500 tons," office head Ibnushiyam Mawardi said.
Mawardi acknowledged the quality of the 10,000 tons of rice from Central Java was poor and many residents returned the rice allotment to Bulog because it was weevil-ridden.
"The residents in Bandarlampung have so far returned 18 sacks *1,800 kg* of rice that were infested by weevils," he said.
The office has been forced to bring in rice from outside Lampung because the province's production capacity was insufficient.
"We have to distribute 11,000 tons of rice every month. We had to coordinate with the central Bulog because stocks have dwindled and the distribution time was approaching, so the central logistics agency sent us 10,000 tons of rice from Central Java," he said.
His office distributes around 11,000 tons of rice to more than 700,000 recipient families every month.
Mawardi said his office did not immediately return the rice because the quality of the whole volume rice might not necessarily be inferior.
Lampung legislature's Commission II chairman Ahmad Junaidi Auly demanded the rice be returned to Central Java.
"The rice has an unpleasant smell. It is below consumption standard. We want the rice returned to Central Java and replaced with better quality rice," he said, adding the same rice had already been rejected by Central Java administration for distribution in the province.
"We will raise our protest. Why have the people of Lampung been provided with rice that has been rejected in Central Java," said Auly, pointing out that Bulog should be held responsible for the blunder.
Fellow councilor Khamamik alleged markup practices in the procurement of the rice.
"Why did the *logistics* agency procure low quality rice. The price is certainly less than the Lampung price. I presume the price of rice from Central Java is less than Rp 3,000 *30 US cents* per kg, while the agency might have set the price at Rp 5,060 per kg. We want an audit," said Khamamik.
