Kuntoro named head of Aceh reconstruction agency
Kuntoro named head of Aceh reconstruction agency
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Former minister of mines and energy Kuntoro Mangkusubroto was
officially installed on Saturday as chairman of a special agency
tasked with coordinating the rehabilitation and reconstruction of
tsunami-hit Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam and Nias Island.
At a ceremony at the State Palace, President Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono also inaugurated other officials of the agency and its
auxiliary bodies.
The appointment of Kuntoro, who has "clean" track record, is
seen as a crucial step in helping to ease concern of possible
abuse of the massive amount of reconstruction funds in a nation
whose bureaucrats are notorious for their corruption.
The powerful agency will manage some Rp 46.1 trillion (US$4.8
billion) in reconstruction funds over the next five years, award
tenders to the private sector for reconstruction work, and deal
with foreign donor countries and agencies.
"The first thing I will do is to listen to the aspirations of
the people of Aceh," Kuntoro told a press conference.
Aceh was the region hardest hit by the Dec. 26 tsunami.
The government has completed a blueprint for the
reconstruction of Aceh and Nias. One of Kuntoro's challenges in
implementing the blueprint will be how to deal with Acehnese
survivors who wish to return to their original settlements in
coastal areas, with the blueprint banning rebuilding of homes
along much of the coast to minimize risk in case of another
tsunami.
Kuntoro said that the agency would work together with domestic
and foreign institutions to create a system aimed at preventing
leakage or abuse of the reconstruction funds.
He added that private sector participants in the
reconstruction work would be required to sign an "integrity
pact."
Meanwhile, ad interim Governor for Aceh Azwar Abubakar was
named as deputy chairman of the agency, which will be based in
Banda Aceh and have a branch office in Nias and a representative
office in Jakarta. Kuntoro and Azwar will be assisted by nine
other members. All these officials will start work in Banda Aceh
on Tuesday.
The agency is supported by a supervisory division and advisory
division.
The government appointed Abdullah Ali, former rector of the
Banda Aceh-based ArRaniry University, as head of the supervisory
division. Djunaidy Hadisumarto was named as his deputy.
Other members of this division, among others, include high
profile names such as former environment minister Emil Salim
(representing foreign donors), former finance minister Mar'ie
Muhamad, senior lawyer Kemal Stamboel (representing non-
governmental organizations), and former minister TB Silalahi.
Coordinating Minister for Political, Security and Legal
Affairs Widodo AS was named as head of the advisory division,
while State Minister of National Development Planning Sri Mulyani
Indrawati was appointed as deputy. Other senior ministers and
leading figures in Aceh and North Sumatra were also named as
members of the division.