The Indonesian government will select capable foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to help continue the relief and reconstruction efforts in the Aceh Province, a minister said in Jakarta Monday.

In order to carry out the selection, the government will extend the time limit for the NGOs to stay in the province from March 26 to April 27, Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare and Poverty Alleviation Alwi Shihab told reporters.

NGOs that have capability, capacity and sufficient experience will be allowed to continue their involvement in the relief and reconstruction efforts, he said.

"We give them 30 more days from March 26. They'd better stay in the province to answer our questions. We will find out which may continue and which may not, (based on their) capability and capacity as well as experience for the reconstruction and rehabilitation," he added.

Some 160 NGOs have been involved in the emergency relief efforts in Aceh, since the earthquake-caused tsunami on Dec. 26, 2004 took away the lives of some 200,000 people in Indonesia and made another 10,000 homeless in the province.

The government plans to shift its efforts in Aceh from emergency relief to reconstruction on March 26.
 
(Xinhua News Agency March 22, 2005)