Indonesia to distribute food staples through smart cards
By GovInsider
Programme to begin on February 23 for low-income households.
The Indonesian Government will start its cashless distribution scheme, providing rice and sugar to poor families this month.
The programme will start on February 23, where households will receive smart cards where they can purchase food staples from electronic shops.
“We will distribute pre-packed rice for Rp 8,500 (64 US cents) per kilogramme”, President Joko Widodo said during a visit to the State Logistics Agency in Jakarta, according to the Jakarta Post.
The programme will cover 44 cities, and the Government will consider expanding distribution to other cities with this approach, he said.
Since taking office, the President has rolled out a number of cashless distributions to the needy community, introducing smart cards for poor students and health cards for citizens to access free health care services.
Image taken from President Joko Widodo's Facebook page