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Govt to redesign rice-for-poor program
Social Affairs Minister Khofifah Indar Parawansa said on Sunday that the government would redesign its rice-for-the-poor (Raskin) program following a recommendation from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), which has detected irregularities in the implementation of the program
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ocial Affairs Minister Khofifah Indar Parawansa said on Sunday that the government would redesign its rice-for-the-poor (Raskin) program following a recommendation from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), which has detected irregularities in the implementation of the program.
Playing down reports that President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo would completely remove the Raskin allocations, the minister asserted that the government aimed to only reorganize the program, which has been running for 17 years.
'Tomorrow [Monday], President Jokowi and Vice President Jusuf Kalla will lead a limited Cabinet meeting to formulate the reorganization of the Raskin program for 2016. Currently, we receive too many reports of rice that is unsuitable for consumption or rice that contains gravel, and improper rice distribution. This redesign is based on a recommendation from the KPK,' said Khofifah on the sidelines of her visit to a State Logistics Agency (Bulog) warehouse in Batam on Sunday.
The minister denied, however, that the antigraft body's recommendation followed indications of corruption in the program, claiming the irregularities were related more to the amount and quality of rice distributed.
'I haven't yet seen any indication [of corruption] that would lead the KPK to issue this recommendation,' said Khofifah.
The minister added that the government had allocated Rp 18.9 trillion (US$1.4 billion) for the 2015 Raskin program. The Social Affairs Ministry has the authority over budgetary allocations for the program, while Bulog is assigned to distribute the rice to local administrations, which in turn distribute it to the public.
'By redesigning the program, we will correct its implementation. Rice for the poor must be suitable for consumption. It should be distributed to targeted beneficiaries in proper amounts and in a timely manner,' said Khofifah.
In 2016, she said, the Raskin program's funding would involve local administrations from the provincial to the regency levels, allowing the program's budget to be spread more evenly. (ebf)(++++)
