Aceh reconstruction program to begin March 26

Aceh reconstruction program to begin March 26

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post/Medan

The rehabilitation and reconstruction programs in Aceh were set
to commence on March 26, a top government official said on
Thursday.

However, the government is still trying to complete the
crucial blueprint on the programs and trying to establish an
implementing body responsible for the reconstruction and
rehabilitation programs, said Coordinating Minister for People's
Welfare Alwi Shihab.

The blueprint is supposed to be completed soon and set to be
handed to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono for approval by
March 15.

Alwi also said that the implementing agency would be
autonomous. The government has recently promised to accommodate
the demands of the Acehnese in its establishment.

The coordinating minister, who is in charge of the tsunami
relief and reconstruction, explained that the government was
still studying requests from various groups, including the
Acehnese, who have demanded that the agency be staffed with
native Acehnese. An executive board for the agency will be
appointed in the near future. "We hope the body can be set up
soon, so that the rehabilitation process can start on March 26.
We already know the zones that will be reconstructed. The housing
barracks, built by the government, are just temporary," Alwi told
The Jakarta Post on Thursday, after attending the Lake Toba
Summit opening ceremony in Medan.

Despite the explanation by Alwi, it was still unclear whether
the body would be similar to the special authority body (BOK) for
Aceh rehabilitation and reconstruction, which the government
earlier planned to establish.

The BOK proposal was dropped due to opposition from many
groups. Non-governmental organization activists and most Acehnese
rejected the BOK, because it was unclear in terms of mechanisms
and division of labor.

Meanwhile, in response to the demand that Acehnese civilians
be involved in the reconstruction and rehabilitation programs,
particularly in designing the blueprint, Alwi said that the
government had discussed it with some people over the past week
and had invited those who wanted to participate in the program.

Alwi also explained that the government hoped that local
contractors could rise to the occasion in rebuilding Aceh.

"It depends on their capabilities. But we will facilitate them
so that their participation materializes," he stated, without
elaborating.

He explained that the first priority during the rehabilitation
and reconstruction phase would be building residential houses,
because hundreds of thousands of tsunami survivors were in dire
need of proper shelter.

The government said it was planning to build permanent homes
for the survivors, to replace the barracks and tent camps they
live in now.

Alwi said his office had not specified the length of time
needed for the program, nor the number of permanent houses to be
built as it was dependent on the amount of money.

An official with the National Development Planning Board's
Regional Autonomy Affairs, Tatag Wiranto, said recently in Medan
that between Rp 40 trillion (US$4.4 billion) and Rp 45 trillion
was needed for the program over a period of five years.

That amount includes the rebuilding of infrastructure and
homes for tsunami survivors, government offices, commercial
buildings and other needs in Aceh.