Jokowi distributes rice aid to thousand beneficiaries in Central Java

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi), on Thursday, participated in the distribution of food assistance in the form of the government's rice reserves to one thousand beneficiaries in Sukoharjo District, Central Java Province.

On the occasion, he also held a dialogue with the recipients of the food aid, telling them that the government will routinely provide each of them with 10 kilograms of rice per month up until June this year.

"Hence, each of you will receive 10 kilograms of rice aid in January, February, March, April, May, and June. It is possible to continue the assistance distribution for the following months, depending on the capacity of the APBN (State Budget)," he remarked.

Speaking at a warehouse of state-owned logistics company Bulog, Jokowi noted that the distribution of food aid serves as a means to control the increases in rice prices, noting that Indonesia is not the only country that experiences the trend.

However, he highlighted that Indonesia is the only country where the people receive rice assistance from their government during such times.

Accompanying the president, President Director of Bulog, Bayu Krisnamurthi, revealed that as many as 72,386 people in Sukoharjo will be receiving the rice aid on a monthly basis, with the total amount of rice prepared reaching 723,860 kilograms per month.

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"Today, Mr. President handed out 10 kilograms of rice reserve assistance to about one thousand beneficiaries for the January period. They will again receive the rice aid in February, March, April, May, and June," he remarked.

He then expressed hope that the government's food aid would be beneficial to its beneficiaries. Head of Sukoharjo District, Etik Suharyani, also accompanied President Jokowi during the activity.