Jakarta (ANTARA) \u2013 Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian said funding\nsupport for forest and land fire response must quickly be translated\ninto operational measures that accelerate efforts to tackle the fires\nand reduce their impact on communities.<\/p>\n
\u201cPublic safety is the top priority. I urge regional heads to make the\nbest use of this assistance to strengthen firefighting, protect\nresidents from the effects of smoke and meet the needs of personnel in\nthe field. Act quickly, target the assistance appropriately and ensure\naccountability, while following the established mechanisms for budgeting\nand use of the funds,\u201d Tito said in a statement in Jakarta on\nMonday.<\/p>\n
The government has again distributed presidential assistance for\nforest and land fire response, worth Rp480 billion, to 44 districts and\ncities in seven provinces.<\/p>\n
With this additional allocation, assistance distributed in two rounds\ntotals Rp1.24 trillion. The government provided Rp760 billion in the\nfirst round on 7 September 2026.<\/p>\n
The funding is intended to strengthen firefighting operations,\nprotect communities from smoke, meet the needs of personnel in the field\nand support the restoration of burned peatland ecosystems.<\/p>\n
The Home Affairs Minister has also issued Circular Letter\nNo.\u00a0300.2.8\/8481\/SJ, dated 23 October 2026. It provides operational\nguidance on budgeting, use, oversight and reporting for central\ngovernment assistance and financial assistance from other regional\ngovernments for fire response.<\/p>\n
Under the circular, funding may be used for ground firefighting and\npeatland injection methods, including fuel, supplies and field\noperations, as well as the deployment of response teams.<\/p>\n
It may also cover the operation of evacuation centres, distribution\nof supplies, evacuations, health preparedness, free medical services for\npeople suffering from acute respiratory infections (ARI) caused by\nsmoke, and wildlife rescue.<\/p>\n
Assistance may also fund medical supplies, masks, vitamins and\nmedicines, portable oxygen, firefighting incentives, logistical support\nfor the Fire-Aware Community (MPA) and volunteers, and the restoration\nof burned peatland ecosystems.<\/p>\n
In the second allocation, Central Kalimantan received Rp110 billion\nfor nine regions; South Sumatra Rp100 billion for ten; South Kalimantan\nRp80 billion for seven; and Riau Rp70 billion for seven.<\/p>\n
West Kalimantan and Jambi each received Rp40 billion for four\nregions, while East Kalimantan received Rp40 billion for three. The\nallocations range from Rp10 billion to Rp20 billion per region.<\/p>\n
The article also listed allocations of Rp205 billion for West\nKalimantan; Rp125 billion for Central Kalimantan; Rp100 billion each for\nRiau, South Sumatra and Kalimantan; Rp85 billion for Jambi; and Rp45\nbillion for East Kalimantan.<\/p>\n
The circular further states that the mechanism for using the\nassistance should reflect the emergency status of each region. Districts\nand cities that have declared an emergency response are to budget the\nfunds under unexpected expenditure.<\/p>\n
Where an emergency response has ended, or a region has not declared\none, the funds are to be budgeted through the relevant regional\ngovernment agency, within its authority, under the appropriate\nprogrammes, activities and sub-activities.<\/p>\n
This allows fire response efforts to continue through the appropriate\nbudget mechanisms.<\/p>\n
Safrizal ZA, director general of regional administration at the Home\nAffairs Ministry, stressed the importance of linking budget support to\noperational needs and outcomes on the ground.<\/p>\n
\u201cMap priority locations, water availability, equipment needs and\npersonnel capacity. Strengthen coordination at command posts so that\nsupport reaches the firefighters and communities who need it. When an\nemergency response ends, ensure outstanding response needs are followed\nup by the relevant regional agencies within their authority and in\naccordance with the established mechanisms,\u201d he said.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/tito-funding-support-must-be-optimised-for-forest-and-land-fire-response-1792986746", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }