Agency admits slow work in Aceh, Nias<\/p>\n
Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
Despite considerable progress, the Reconstruction and
\nRehabilitation Agency (BRR) for Aceh and Nias has been facing
\nnumerous technical and administrative obstacles that make the
\nreconstruction and rehabilitation work slow in the disaster-
\ndevastated region.<\/p>\n
BRR representative in Jakarta Heru Prasetyo said the lengthy
\nplanning and the lack of government focus on the emergency
\ncondition in the two affected areas had been contributing factors
\nin the slow reconstruction and rehabilitation work.<\/p>\n
\"Initially, the ministers involved in the reconstruction and
\nrehabilitation efforts treated the problems in the two regions as
\nroutine work, while the two regions are absolutely in an
\nemergency condition,\" he said in a press conference here on
\nFriday.<\/p>\n
Several donor countries and international aid agencies have
\ncriticized the reconstruction and rehabilitation work as too slow
\nas some 500,000 survivors of the Dec. 26 tsunami in Aceh are
\nstill living in camps, tents and barracks and a bigger part of
\nschool-age children are still studying in children's centers.<\/p>\n
The head of BRR office in Aceh, Said Faisal, said that BRR and
\nstate-owned construction companies have spent a long time in
\npreparing the housing and school projects.<\/p>\n
\"The housing projects have to obtain a permit from the
\nauthorities, while the construction of houses have to be planned
\nin consultation with survivors. All this takes a lot of time,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
BRR's fund management head Amin Subekti said that \"technical
\nhurdles\" in the disbursement of necessary funds has also
\ncontributed to the slow reconstruction work.<\/p>\n
\"Both donor countries and the government are committed to
\ndisbursing funds in phases. Funds are disbursed after proposed
\nprojects are approved and this mechanism takes a long time,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He said that donor countries had pledged a total of US$7.1
\nbillion for the reconstruction and rehabilitation work, but so
\nfar only $3.6 billion was effectively available.<\/p>\n
To help cope with the technical and bureaucratic hurdles, BRR
\nwill set up a special trust fund called the Reconstruction of
\nAceh and Nias Trust Fund (RANTF).<\/p>\n
\"We are trying to cut short the process between sources of
\nfunds to the implementation in the field without sacrificing
\naccountability and transparency,\" said Heru.<\/p>\n
Six months after the agency was set up, more than 10,000 units
\nof the planned 76,000 houses have already been constructed in
\nAceh, while the rebuilding of almost 20,000 units is now in
\nprogress.<\/p>\n
The BRR has also built six of nine planned hospitals, six of
\n30 planned public health centers, 119 of the 366 planned school
\nbuildings.<\/p>\n
The BRR is still carrying out road and seaport rehabilitation
\nprojects in Aceh Besar, Aceh Jaya and West Aceh.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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