VP, Bappenas join forces with donors<\/p>\n
Urip Hudiono and Tony Hotland, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The government has established a relief and reconstruction scheme
\nwith international donors and organizations to coordinate the
\nrelief and reconstruction effort for the tsunami disaster.<\/p>\n
The National Disaster Management and Refugee Coordination
\nBoard (Bakornas) which has been has been responsible for the
\nhumanitarian operations in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam and North
\nSumatra, has requested the United Nations Development Program
\n(UNDP) for assistance.<\/p>\n
The board is headed by Vice President Jusuf Kalla as chairman
\nand Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Alwi Shihab as
\nvice chairman.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas)
\nwill coordinate reconstruction in the two provinces with the help
\nof the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and major
\ndonor countries.<\/p>\n
While the aid has continued to pile up in the two provinces,
\ndistribution has been a problem due to a lack of coordination on
\nthe ground between various humanitarian organizations and
\nmilitary aid groups. Further, the vast destruction of
\ninfrastructure, such as roads and bridges, and a shortage of
\ntransportation, has compounded the problem.<\/p>\n
Cash, food, medicine and other aid for survivors of the Aceh
\ndisaster collected by foreign governments, corporations and
\nindividuals in Indonesia as well as across the world have passed
\nthe US$2 billion mark, according to the UN.<\/p>\n
State Minister of National Development Planning and Bappenas
\nchairwoman Sri Mulyani Indrawati said on Wednesday that Bappenas
\nwould be sending 10 infrastructure experts to Aceh this week to
\nmake a preliminary assessment of the damage there.<\/p>\n
\"After the assessment, we hope to come up with more detailed
\ndevelopment plans (on rebuilding Aceh),\" Mulyani said.<\/p>\n
Bappenas data shows that at least 12 types of ready loans and
\ngrants from foreign donors -- drawn from local health and
\ndevelopment projects and the Sumatra Regional Road project --
\ncould be channeled for the rehabilitation effort.<\/p>\n
The combined value of the loans and grants is about $375
\nbillion, and were provided by countries like Japan and the United
\nStates, as well as institutions like the ADB and the
\nInternational Development Association.<\/p>\n
Bappenas will prioritize vital sectors for rehabilitation,
\nincluding facilities and infrastructure, transportation, health,
\nbusiness and education. The agency anticipates land disputes in
\nthe process, as property ownership and other legal documents were
\nlost and many landowners were killed or missing in the disaster.<\/p>\n
Mulyani, finance minister Yusuf Anwar and ADB Director General
\nfor Southeast Asia Shamshad Akhtar signed a memorandum of
\nunderstanding, in which the ADB agreed to provide an emergency
\nsoft loan of $126.37 million for Aceh and North Sumatra.<\/p>\n
\"The loan is part of a three-part action plan the ADB has
\nprepared in the objective of rapid disbursement during the coming
\ncritical two to four months,\" Akhtar said.<\/p>\n
She explained that the loan, reallocated from 13 ADB projects
\nin the country, would be used to address immediate, short-term
\nrequirements in humanitarian relief efforts and repairing
\ncritical basic services.<\/p>\n
\"The highest priority now is to restore the water supply,
\nsanitation and health care so that we can reduce the incremental
\nloss of more lives,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Akhtar explained that the ADB was also planning new loans for
\nprojects in Aceh and an additional $100 million in grants and
\nsoft loans with 1 percent interest and a repayment term of up to
\n40 years.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/vp-bappenas-join-forces-with-donors-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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