Blueprint for reconstructing Aceh province completed
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta
The government has finalized the blueprint for the reconstruction of tsunami-stricken Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam and North Sumatra, Vice President Jusuf Kalla declared on Friday.
He said the blueprint had already been discussed with representatives of the people of Aceh, who have borne the brunt of the Dec. 26 catastrophe.
"It's final. We'll bring it to the President for approval very soon," he said after a Cabinet meeting.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is expected to sign the blueprint after his arrival from a state visit to Australia, New Zealand and East Timor.
Kalla said that there would no changes to the blueprint, explaining the Acehnese had thrown their weight behind it as the government had accommodated some of their suggestions.
Kalla said the government would set up a special Aceh Authority Body (BOA) to implement the blueprint.
He said the government would select the members of the BOA, which is expected to handle reconstruction projects worth around Rp 46 trillion (about US$5 billion) over the next five years.
"There will be the head, deputies and other divisions. There will also be monitoring and supervisory officials," he explained.
Kalla said candidates would need to meet the criteria set by the government.
"The candidates must have experience in handling big projects, understand engineering, finance, how to coordinate with donors and, of course, understand the aspirations of the Acehnese," he said.
Kalla declined to name candidates for the head of the BOA. However, rumor has it that the highest post on the board will go to former mining and energy minister Kuntoro Mangkusubroto.
Susilo invited Kuntoro to his office twice last month for talks.
Other possible candidates are former Aceh governor Ibrahim Hasan, former human rights minister Hasballah M. Saad (an Acehnese) and Acehnese legislator Farhan Hamid.
Chairman of the Indonesia Red Cross (PMI) Mar'ie Muhammad and former chief of the Aceh Military Command, Djali Yusuf, were previously rumored to be possible candidates.
Kalla said the BOA would start work in June, or about three months later than the government initially said the reconstruction process would commence, on March 26.
Meanwhile, Aceh deputy governor Azwar Abubakar said the people of Aceh had no objections to the government blueprint. However, he said, the Aceh administration warned the BOA not to undermine the authority of the provincial administration.
"We hope the BOA is aware of the special autonomy status granted to Aceh," he said.
The government is expected to hold a consultative meeting with the House of Representatives' finance commission about the government's final draft of the blueprint.
The House' approval for the blueprint is important as the reconstruction phase would be financed partly by the state budget.