Home Affairs Minister: Permanent infrastructure becomes focus of Sumatra recovery

Minister of Home Affairs Muhammad Tito Karnavian has stated that the acceleration of post-disaster rehabilitation and reconstruction in Sumatra is now entering a recovery phase focused on the permanent rebuilding of affected infrastructure. Tito Karnavian, who also serves as Chair of the Task Force for the Acceleration of Post-Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (PRR) for Sumatra, said that the construction of roads and bridges, whether under national or regional status, is the main priority for the next stage. “It must be done, either by the regional government or taken over by the central government,” Tito said following a Ministerial-Level Meeting of the Steering Team for the Sumatra Post-Disaster PRR Task Force at the Office of the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture (Kemenko PMK) in Jakarta on Thursday. According to Tito, recovery in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra continues to show positive progress. This progress is evident in the improvement of government services, health, education, strategic infrastructure, and the construction of temporary shelters. The budget is allocated for 33 ministries and agencies, comprising 23 primary ministries and agencies and 10 supporting ones. Tito urged the relevant ministries and agencies to accelerate the submission and disbursement of budgets so they can be immediately utilised to support the recovery process. “Once transferred, the pace will increase significantly,” he said. The central government, he noted, has distributed additional Regional Transfer Funds (TKD) amounting to Rp10.6 trillion to all regional governments in the three disaster-affected provinces. He also commended several regional governments that have allocated a portion of the additional TKD in the form of grants to affected areas still requiring support. According to Tito, this step is important because the additional TKD was provided to all regions in the three provinces, including areas not directly impacted by the disaster. “I encourage the regions to move forward using their respective TKD,” he said. He also expressed appreciation to the various parties who have contributed to the recovery process in the affected areas. “We hope for support from all parties to work together in mutual cooperation to accelerate rehabilitation and reconstruction,” he stated.