Government Pursues Target of Building Permanent Housing in Sumatra with Various Schemes

The government has reaffirmed its commitment to accelerating the construction of permanent housing (huntap) for communities affected by disasters in Sumatra.

This was conveyed during a Coordination Meeting on the Preparation and Progress Report for the Construction of Huntap, led by the Minister of Home Affairs (Mendagri) Muhammad Tito Karnavian, together with the Minister of Public Works and Public Housing (PKP) Maruarar Sirait at the Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri) headquarters, Jakarta on Wednesday (25/2).

Mendagri Tito, who also serves as the Head of the Task Force for the Acceleration of Rehabilitation and Reconstruction after Disasters in Sumatra, stated that the construction of huntap is being carried out through various schemes, both funded by the State Budget (APBN) and through collaborative schemes supported by other parties such as the Buddha Tzu Chi Foundation.

“We know that this huntap will be built by the APBN, by the Ministry of PKP, in the complex,” said Tito.

Meanwhile, the construction of huntap outside the complex will be supported by the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB). Support is also provided by other ministries and agencies such as the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs (Kemenko Polkam), the National Police (Polri), and the National Alms Agency (Baznas).

Specifically, Tito expressed his gratitude to the Buddha Tzu Chi Foundation for contributing to providing huntap for victims of disasters in Sumatra.

“We would like to thank everyone, especially the Buddha Tzu Chi Foundation, for their contribution, tolerance, and solidarity with the communities affected by the disaster,” he said.

Similarly, Minister of PKP Maruarar Sirait added that the construction of huntap is being carried out in a coordinated manner across sectors.

“We are still working to ensure that [the huntap] can be handed over to the people in the near future,” said Maruarar.

In addition to huntap, the government is also ensuring the provision of various supporting infrastructure for the construction of huntap, such as electricity, water, and road access. The meeting also discussed a number of issues that have arisen in the field regarding the construction of huntap.

Those present at the meeting included the Chief of Presidential Staff (KSP) Muhammad Qodari, the Head of the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) Amalia Adininggar Widyasanti, the Deputy Chairman of the Buddha Tzu Chi Foundation Sugianto Kusuma, the Governor of North Sumatra (Sumut) Bobby Afif Nasution, the Vice Governor of Aceh Fadhlullah, and the Vice Governor of West Sumatra (Sumbar) Vasko Ruseimy.