Tangerang begins distributing rice for the poor

After eight months of wait, Tangerang municipal administration will start distributing cheap rice for the poor in three districts on Tuesday.

Agus R. Wahyudin, secretary of the municipal agency team responsible for distribution of the subsidized rice, said on Monday each poor family in Cileduk, Larangan and Karang Tengah districts was entitled to 15 kilograms of rice, up from 13 kg they received last year.

“We hope the families to buy the rice at the district administration offices on Tuesday,” he said, adding that the distribution is expected to be completed within five days.

The rice is sold at Rp 2,150 (US 23 cent) per kilogram.

The Tangerang municipality administration has registered 28,546 families in 114 sub-districts in 13 districts as those entitled to the cheap rice.

“This is the first distribution this year. We have not distributed the rice since January, pending the Banten provincial administration’s approval of our request to increase the quota of rice to 15 kilograms,” Agus said.

Wasingun Hadi, head of regional subdivision of State Logistics Agency (Bulog) said neighboring Tangerang regency and South Tangerang municipality had distributed the cheap rice to the poor since January.