House of Representatives pushes for budget reallocation to handle NTT earthquake impact

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The House of Representatives (DPR) is encouraging the government to take measures deemed necessary to handle the impact of the earthquake in the East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) region, including carrying out budget reallocation.

Deputy Speaker of the DPR Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, during a DPR Plenary Session at the parliament complex in Senayan, Jakarta, on Tuesday, said that several DPR leaders and members would depart for NTT on Wednesday (19/8) together with government representatives.

“It has been announced that tomorrow, the DPR leadership has assigned several DPR leaders and members along with the Finance Minister and other relevant ministers to depart for NTT, to then provide assistance and push for budget reallocation deemed necessary,” he said while opening the plenary session.

On Sunday (16/8), Dasco explained, the DPR had sent representatives to NTT. On that occasion, the DPR carried out its oversight function by holding a coordination meeting with the government.

Previously, the DPR RI Post-Disaster Management Task Force (Galapana) inspected the areas affected by the 7.7-magnitude earthquake in NTT to oversee the acceleration of victim handling and the fulfilment of community needs.

Deputy Speaker of the DPR RI Cucun Ahmad Syamsurijal in Ruteng, Manggarai Regency, NTT, on Sunday (16/8), said the DPR requested reports on the current conditions, emergency response measures, and needs that must be immediately fulfilled in the affected areas.

According to Cucun, the DPR will bring various inputs from local governments as well as relevant ministries and agencies to determine the steps that need to be coordinated within the next one to two days.

“What we must do immediately within these one or two days, we will do, we will carry out the coordination,” he said.