Getting our act together

Indeed, it is not too early now to start planning the reconstruction of the province of Nangroe Aceh Darussalam so that life can resume as normally as the circumstances there permit. A number of aspects, however, should be taken into serious consideration.

The first is the problem of the overall crisis management and rehabilitation and development efforts in that ravaged westernmost province. Based on a presidential decree issued immediately after the disaster, Vice President Jusuf Kalla is now in charge of coordinating and supervising the efforts, while Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Alwi Shihab, assisted by Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu, has been entrusted with the daily responsibility of directing and overseeing the on- the-ground operations from a base in Banda Aceh.

Even so, it is worth, at this point, to reconsider whether this setup is effective and adequate in light of the huge task at hand and considering the scope and the extent of the destruction that the catastrophe has wrought. The point is that this question is closely related to the second aspect of the relief efforts in Aceh, which is the management and allocation of the huge amounts of money that have been donated, either by concerned foreign governments or by private organizations and citizens.

Perhaps, a senior official of the central bank, Bank Indonesia, needs to be seconded to Alwi Shihab, since it is important to see to it that the various non-governmental organizations that are currently active in the relief operations in Aceh are not hampered in accessing the funds that should be available to them -- whether they be in Jakarta, or in Medan or Banda Aceh. These organizations work around the clock, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and need to be provided with the proper facilities, even on weekends and holidays, when banks are normally closed, so as to enable them to make emergency withdrawals.

The third problem, and one that we consider to be of the utmost importance, concerns the matter of joint planning among the various ministries that are involved -- led by the National Development Planning Board (Bappenas) -- in reconstructing the basic infrastructure of destroyed population centers, such as the provincial capital of Banda Aceh, Lhokseumawe on the east coast, Meulaboh on the west coast and other townships.

For each location, a special task force should be established, with adequate funding to enable them to tackle the reconstruction of basic infrastructure, such as roads, bridges and public utilities. Attention should also be given to the rebuilding of housing, schools, hospitals and public health centers and sewage treatment plants.

Finally, measures should be taken to revive the economy by putting in place an efficient credit system unburdened by bureaucratic procedures to assist small and medium enterprises, farmers and fishermen across the region and help them to get back on their feet.

All this obviously requires good planning, management skills and, above all, a sense of commitment to show the Acehnese and the world that the spirit of solidarity is alive and well in Indonesia. Frankly, a shortage of relief aid is not the greatest concern. There is confidence that the international community will continue to lend its support, provided that Indonesia can demonstrate to the world that it is capable of managing the donated funds in a frugal and responsible manner.