371,142 gas stove will be distributed to poor families

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - As of July 9, 2007, at least 371,142 gas stoves along with their gas containers will be distributed free of charge to poor families, the launching of which will be opened by Cooperatives, Small and Medium Entrepreneurs Minister Suryadharma Ali.

Speaking in a press conference here on Friday, Production Dputy of the Cooperatives, Small and Medium Entrepreneurs (SMEs) Ministry Muzni HA Djalil said the launching of the gas stoves to poor families would be held in Cibodar village, Cibodas sub-district, Tangerang City, Banten Province.

The launching was part of the distribution program which will be followed in other regions of Jakarta, West Java and Banten.

PT. Bimadaya Inti Dinamika won the tender for gas stoves and gas containers distribution, including a census of poor families living in North and East Jakarta, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi.

The government has entrusted the supply of around 371,142 gas stoves to poor families to the Cooperative and SMEs Ministy which is expeced to help prevent poor families from depending on kerosene.

PT. Bimadaya Inti Dinamika was given 90 days to distribute the stoves to the eligible poor families.

If based on the result of the census of prospective recipients, the allocation could not yet be met, it will be rearranged so that the recipients really deserved the gas stoves.

According to Muzni, the poor families however had to meet some requirements, firstly the prospective families should be kerosene consumers, and do not have gas stoves. The second requirement is that they have an ID card and family card issued by their neighborhood auhorities.

The third, they should be ready to switch from kerosene to gas, and the fourth is that they must also be ready to maintain the gas stoves, and not transfer them to other people, and the last requirement is that one poor family is entitled to only one gas stove.

Moreover, Muzni further explained that the success of the program depends on the assistance and active role of the local government up to village level in determining prospective recipients.

It was reported that the tender for the supply of 371.142 gas stoves was worth Rp38,784,339,000, while the cost the government has to bear for the census and distribution of gas stoves and gas containers was estimated at Rp6,976,126,000.