Relief aid still stranded in sea port<\/p>\n
Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan<\/p>\n
Hundreds of containers of humanitarian relief aid are still
\nstranded in Belawan port in North Sumatra despite central
\ngovernment instructions that all of them be taken immediately to
\ntsunami and earthquake victims in Aceh and Nias island.<\/p>\n
Vice President Jusuf Kalla who heads the national coordination
\nbody in charge of dealing with the disasters, last week
\ninstructed Coordinating Minister for the Economy Aburizal Bakrie
\nto provide financial assistance to transport the aid so that it
\ncould be distributed without having to wait for permits from the
\nMinistry of Trade.<\/p>\n
However, a week after the minister's visit, only 100 of the
\n1,458 containers of relief aid comprising food, clothes and
\nmedical supplies had been sent to Aceh and Nias.<\/p>\n
Head of the investigation and preventive section at the
\nBelawan port customs office, Cerah Bangun, said on Saturday the
\ndistribution was still facing transportation and permit problems.<\/p>\n
He said that most of the remaining containers, apart from 400,
\nhad already been cleared of permit problems.<\/p>\n
\"We wonder why the distribution of the relief aid is so slow
\neven though the government has provided a big budget for
\ntransportation. Moreover, we're also questioning the seriousness
\nof the Ministry of Trade for not issuing import permits for this
\nrelief aid, which goes against the central government's policy,\"
\nCerah told The Jakarta Post in Belawan.<\/p>\n
During his visit to Belawan, Aburizal said the Vice President
\nhad provided Rp 2 billion to the North Sumatra governor to ensure
\nspeedy distribution of the containers that were piling up at the
\nport.<\/p>\n
He was given an assurance that the relief aid, which could not
\nbe distributed due to the absence of permits from the Ministry of
\nTrade, could be shipped out without having to wait for permits,
\nwith the exception of vehicles.<\/p>\n
Cerah said that of the 117 vehicles sent as humanitarian
\nrelief aid from abroad, several units had already been sent to
\nAceh after Aburizal's visit.<\/p>\n
\"Some vehicles were sent to Aceh without waiting for Ministry
\nof Trade permits because they're very badly needed,\" he said,
\nadding that among the vehicles were 15 ambulances, garbage trucks
\nand bulldozers.<\/p>\n
Head of the Ministry of Trade's office in North Sumatra, T.
\nAzwar Aziz, denied the permit problems, saying that all of the
\nrelief aid, excluding vehicles, could now be shipped out of the
\nport.<\/p>\n
\"There was a joint agreement made that was approved by the
\nMinistry of Trade when Coordinating Minister for the Economy
\nAburizal Bakrie gave an instruction to ship the relief aid to
\ndisaster areas,\" Aziz told the Post.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/relief-aid-still-stranded-in-sea-port-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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