Disaster Recovery Budget Has Been Disbursed, Parliament Urges Regions to Accelerate Execution
A member of Commission II of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Azis Subekti, has urged regional governments in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra to accelerate the absorption of post-disaster recovery budgets. This follows the disbursement of additional central government funds totalling more than Rp10 trillion through Ministry of Finance Decree No. 59 of 2026.
Azis highlighted a disparity between fund availability and field realisation. Data as of 1 March 2026 showed that the channelling of Transfers to Regions (TKD) had only reached approximately 25 per cent of the total Rp85 trillion allocation.
“The money has been disbursed, policies have been formulated. The main issue now is no longer fund availability, but rather capacity and execution orientation in the regions. Recovery must not be hindered by slow bureaucratic procedures,” Azis stated in a statement released on Monday (2 March 2026).
According to Azis, the additional Revenue Sharing Funds (DBH), General Allocation Funds (DAU), and Special Autonomy Funds (Otsus) disbursed by the central government must be rapidly converted into tangible infrastructure improvements. He criticised the pace of regional bureaucratic work, which he deemed still to be operating under normal procedures in the midst of an emergency situation.
“Citizens who have lost homes and livelihoods do not live by bureaucratic schedules. Administrative delays in the post-disaster period are not merely technical issues, but touch upon dimensions of social justice,” stated the Gerindra politician.
To ensure the trillion-rupiah funds reached their intended targets, Azis proposed that provincial governments map out basic service priorities so that districts and municipalities would have a common reference in repairing the most pressing damage points. He then proposed that the central government provide measured discretionary scope and accelerated approval of budget amendments so that regions would not be trapped in normal procedures.
Subsequently, he proposed the adoption of results-based indicators. He stated that success should not be measured solely by budget absorption percentages, but by the restoration of public facilities such as clean water, schools, and economic access.
“Do not focus solely on financial reports. The public awaits tangible results: roads that can be travelled again and restored health services,” he added.
Furthermore, Azis stated that Commission II of the House of Representatives remained committed to continuing oversight of regional governance implementation, particularly in the use of emergency disaster funds. Azis cautioned that results-based transparency would strengthen public confidence in government performance.
“In the post-disaster situation, the state is tested not by the size of its budget, but by its ability to transform fiscal decisions into resumed normal life,” he concluded.
At the regional level, municipal governments have been encouraged to prepare emergency schemes through their local budgets to temporarily cover affected residents who are undergoing reactivation.