Donors to soon disburse $250m for Aceh<\/p>\n
Rendi A. Witular, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Multinational donors will soon disburse some US$250 million in
\nassistance packages for the reconstruction of tsunami-stricken
\nNanggroe Aceh Darussalam and some parts of North Sumatra, World
\nBank executives say.<\/p>\n
The funds are among some $500 million in assistance funds
\npledged earlier by foreign donor countries and institutions
\nfollowing the massive disaster in the provinces late last year,
\nsaid World Bank country director Andrew Steer on Thursday.<\/p>\n
"Within the next four weeks, the World Bank and other donors
\nare expected to sign an initial agreement with the Indonesian
\ngovernment for the disbursement of some $250 million," said Steer
\nafter a meeting with Vice President Jusuf Kalla.<\/p>\n
The funds, which will be disbursed in batches, are expected to
\nbe pooled in the government's so-termed multi-donor trust fund.
\nOnly recently, the World Bank transferred $25 million into the
\naccount.<\/p>\n
At present, some $600 million in financial aid has been
\nreceived by the government through the multi-donor trust fund
\nfrom foreign donors.<\/p>\n
The House of Representatives has approved the government's
\nplan to allocate some Rp 8.15 trillion ($867 million) this year
\nto reconstruct the damaged areas -- where more than 230,000
\npeople died in the catastrophe.<\/p>\n
It is estimated that the government may spend up to Rp 45
\ntrillion in the next four years to rebuild the disaster areas.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, World Bank vice president Jemal-ud-din Kessum said
\nduring the meeting with Kalla, the agency had conveyed its
\nsupport as well as satisfaction over the ongoing reconstruction
\nefforts.<\/p>\n
Kessum said the agency's officials would travel to Aceh this
\nmonth to meet the head of the agency that oversees Aceh's
\nreconstruction, Kuntoro Mangkusubroto, to assess the progress
\nmade to date.<\/p>\n
"We will observe reconstruction efforts in the field and
\ndirectly evaluate the progress," he said.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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