Illustrative photo (Photo: antaranews.com)Jakarta (VNA) – The State Logistics Agency of Indonesia (Bulog) has announced that22 million families in the country will benefit from the government’s rice assistance in 2024.
Bulog'sPublic Relations and Institutional Affairs Manager Tomi Wijaya stated thatearlier, the number of beneficiary families was 21.4 million. The figure wasthen updated by the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture forthe assistance programme in 2024.
Wijayaadded that the rice assistance distribution will be continued until March 2024.The rice assistance is sourced from the government rice reserves (CBP), andeach beneficiary receives 10 kg of rice each month. It is expected thatIndonesian President Joko Widodo will consider extending the assistance untilJune 2024.
Speakingat a media discussion event last week, Wijaya said that if the state budget issufficient, the rice assistance programme can be realised until the next sixmonths. Each beneficiary family will receive 10 kg of rice monthly.
Accordingto Bulog, it ensured that the stock of CBP to meet needs during the 2023Christmas and 2024 New Year is safe.
Currently,the agency has secured 1.4 million tonnes of rice. Furthermore, the stock willbe increased by the government's imported rice.
Therice stock of 1.4 million tonnes will also be used for rice assistance distributionthat will last until next year to maintain price stability in the community.
Buloghad made contracts to secure an additional stock of 1 million tonnes of riceout of the additional quota for imports mandated by the government in late2023, namely 1.5 million tonnes.
Throughout2023, Bulog has distributed 1.4 million tonnes of rice under the riceassistance programme./.
