Jakarta, Aug. 31 -- The Indonesian government's rice distribution. under the Cheap Food Movement (GPM) has helped curb rice price fluctuations across various regions, a minister said.

"The initiative has proven effective in maintaining stable rice prices," Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian said in a statement on Saturday.

By the end of August, subsidized SPHP rice - part of the government's Food Supply and Price Stabilization (SPHP) program - had been distributed to 4,662 of 7,285 sub-districts, reaching more than 3.4 million people.

As a result, 33 of the 233 districts that previously reported price hikes now say prices have normalized, while 55 districts have even reported price drops, the minister said.

The government has all...