Jobs to be given to Acehnese first: Mayor

Jobs to be given to Acehnese first: Mayor

Fadli and Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh

Future reconstruction efforts in Aceh, involving many local and
foreign agencies and requiring millions of workers, should
prioritize Acehnese people, particularly those affected by the
disaster, local officials say.

Banda Aceh Mayor Mawardy Nurdin and Aceh Besar Regent Rusli
Muhammad said here on Monday that the Dec. 26 earthquake and
tsunamis, which devastated the province and a small part of North
Sumatra, have left hundreds of thousands of Acehnese people
unemployed.

They said that the Aceh provincial administration had
implemented a labor policy that gives priority to displaced
Acehnese people in all jobs related to the rehabilitation
projects.

Mawardy acknowledged the crucial role of outsiders during the
emergency period, which saw foreign military troops and
volunteers, and Indonesian volunteers carrying out humanitarian
relief work.

"But, now, the mourning and emergency period is over. Most
survivors have begun to wake up from their deep shock to resume
their daily activities. Almost all survivors have been left
jobless because they have lost their houses and businesses.

"We are making an inventory of survivors left without jobs due
to the tsunami and the conditions created by it. The unemployed
will be channeled to all companies and agencies involved in all
reconstruction projects in the province," he said.

Rusli said that in line with the departure of foreign military
forces to their home countries, volunteers would be sent back to
their hometowns in time, to allow the government, local
authorities and international agencies to carry out
reconstruction work.

He said the four state-owned enterprises appointed to
construct the 800 barracks for displaced persons had been asked
to employ displaced people to empower them and help them recover
from the shock of the tragedy.

"The local manpower and transmigration office is still
enlisting prospective workers from the refugees to be channeled
to international and UN agencies involved in reconstruction
efforts in the province," he said.

He added that state enterprises, non-governmental
organizations and foreign agencies were allowed to recruit
outsiders in the reconstruction work as long as they are
professionals not found in Aceh.

A number of foreign agencies and NGOs such as USAID, the World
Food Program (WFP) and Save the Children have recruited Acehnese
people as local staff members to support their operation during
the emergency period.

United Nations headquarters in New York recently revealed its
plan to create around 500,000 jobs during its operation in the
province.

Mawardy also confirmed that the Malaysian and Thai governments
had committed to participating in the rehabilitation of Banda
Aceh.

"The Malaysian government will help make a new design of the
city with Islamic nuances while the Thai government will help
supervise the development of quake-proof buildings," he said,
citing that the development of the blueprint for the new city
plan was ongoing.