Mualem: Aceh's Recovery Requires Major Support from Central Government

Banda Aceh (ANTARA) - Aceh Governor Muzakir Manaf, or Mualem, stated that efforts to recover from the floods and landslides in Aceh require substantial support from the central government, especially in rebuilding road and bridge infrastructure.

“All the parties present today, let us think of the best way to resolve Aceh’s problems,” said Mualem in Banda Aceh on Thursday.

The statement was delivered by Mualem when opening the Musyawarah Perencanaan Pembangunan (Musrenbang) for the Aceh government work plan (RKPA) 2027, at Anjong Mon Mata, the Aceh Governor’s Office, Banda Aceh.

The Musrenbang, themed “Accelerating Post-Disaster Recovery through Resilient and Sustainable Development,” was also attended by officials from the central government, including representatives from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Bappenas, and the House of Representatives.

Mualem conveyed that this Musrenbang RKPA 2027 serves as a forum to align Aceh’s development plans with national programmes, ensuring that policies formulated are on target and directly impact the community.

Mualem also highlighted the impact of the floods, which have led to an increase in poverty and unemployment rates in Aceh. Therefore, he hopes for broader assistance from the central government.

Currently, he said, central government aid is deemed limited to the basic needs of the community, such as clothing and food. Meanwhile, rehabilitation and reconstruction of infrastructure like bridges and roads have not yet been addressed.

“So we must realise that to restore this as we hope, assistance from the centre can be said to only suffice for basic foodstuffs in Aceh, for eating—this is what’s happening on the ground,” he stated.

“But for rehab and reconstruction, bridges, roads, we will only start now. Even with assistance from the TNI and police gentlemen, they work sincerely,” Mualem added.

Mualem also revealed that in several remote areas of Aceh, communities still have to use rafts to cross rivers. Therefore, he hopes that this year there will be significant changes or recovery.

“So we see that even now in the remote areas, they still use rafts and ropes to cross rivers. This is what’s happening. Hopefully this year there will be changes for all of us,” Mualem concluded.