Blueprint for a more livable Aceh
Tony Hotland and Nani Afrida, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Banda Aceh
Spelling out the rebuilding strategies for tsunami-stricken Aceh and Nias in North Sumatra, the government's draft blueprint for tsunami reconstruction aims at creating a far better place to live for residents.
The much-vaunted draft embraces crucial issues in reconstructing the profoundly affected areas, both physically and psychologically.
The success of reconstruction efforts in Aceh has been seen as crucial for the government to win back the hearts of the Acehnese after decades of rights abuses in the military campaign against separatist rebels, and the massive corruption that has seen most of the oil and gas revenue from Aceh flowing out of the province.
The draft was officially presented to the Acehnese through their community leaders by the government on Saturday, exactly three months after the tsunami.
In Indonesia, more than 200,000 people died and went missing, while about half a million lost their homes in the tsunami, mostly in Aceh.
The government wants community leaders in Aceh to familiarize the public with the draft and gather input and suggestions before it revises the blueprint for a final time.
According to the blueprint, rehabilitation work to get public services in Aceh back up and running is to begin in April -- as the humanitarian relief operation ends -- and last until December 2006. The reconstruction period will then begin, lasting to December 2009.
In the draft blueprint, the government says all of the projects will be public-oriented, holistic, coordinated, accountable and accompanied by effective monitoring and evaluation safeguards.
The government introduces four main development policies in the draft. They are the development and reestablishment of society, the economy, infrastructure and housing, and regional administrations.
While the latter three policies focus mostly on physical reconstruction, repairing society will require mending problems in the fields of religion, culture, health, education, science and technology, security, and law and order.
The draft also seeks to redraw affected regions in a bid to help residents return to their lives as quickly as possible.
As part of this effort, the government hopes to build residential areas that are more able to survive natural disasters, protect the land ownership rights of residents and help residents earn a living.
The draft also stipulates maximum participation from the public in the reconstruction efforts, including the establishment of development boards in specified areas.
In terms of financing, the government said the reconstruction would cost Rp 41.1 trillion (US$4.4 billion) over the next five years, with the money coming from the state budget and international aid.
Acehnese legal expert Rufriadi said on Monday the draft would need a great deal of revision because most of the plans dealt with physical, rather than social, reconstruction.
"And what is important is to allow the Acehnese to participate because they are the ones who know what they want and need," he said.