North Sumatra and West Sumatra Donate Rp287 Billion for Aceh Recovery

Solidarity among regions in accelerating post-hydro-meteorological disaster recovery in Aceh Province, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra continues to strengthen. The Task Force for Accelerating Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (PRR) Post-Sumatra Disaster recorded that North Sumatra Province and West Sumatra have donated Rp287 billion to Aceh through an inter-regional grant mechanism sourced from the return of Regional Transfers (TKD) to assist the Aceh recovery process. Quoting the Task Force PRR statement on Thursday, 12 local governments in West Sumatra also provided grants to support recovery in the affected areas of Aceh. This contribution follows the previous steps from eight local governments in North Sumatra that had earlier channelled similar support. The total grants collected from local governments in West Sumatra reached Rp27 billion. This support comes from various regions, including the City of Padang with Rp5 billion, the Cities of Payakumbuh and Padang Panjang each with Rp3 billion, as well as several other regencies/cities with contributions varying between Rp1 billion and Rp2 billion. Previously, from North Sumatra, the total inter-regional grants collected reached Rp260 billion. Thus, the total grants successfully collected from both provinces amount to Rp287 billion, which will be directly channelled to regions in Aceh still experiencing severe disaster impacts. Head of the Task Force PRR Post-Sumatra Disaster, Muhammad Tito Karnavian, stated that this inter-regional grant mechanism is a tangible form of national mutual cooperation in accelerating recovery in affected areas. “We only connect the inter-regional grants, so this assistance can be directly felt. We oversee the mechanism, from account to account, to ensure it is on target and quickly utilised by the regions in need,” Tito said at the Appreciation for High-Achieving Local Governments in Palembang, South Sumatra, last weekend. He revealed that the central government previously allocated and returned TKD worth Rp10.6 trillion to support recovery in the three affected provinces. This scheme provides fiscal space for regions that are relatively less affected to help regions with more severe recovery conditions. According to Tito, several areas in Aceh still face recovery challenges, including the risk of follow-up disasters such as floods and landslides. Therefore, accelerating interventions through cross-regional support becomes a strategic step to ensure even and sustainable recovery. “The total assistance from these two provinces is hoped to accelerate Aceh’s recovery. This is a tangible manifestation of solidarity and mutual cooperation among regions in facing disasters,” he added. The Task Force PRR ensures that the entire grant distribution process will continue to be closely monitored, both administratively and in implementation on the ground, to guarantee accountability and effectiveness in budget utilisation. Through this collaboration, the government is optimistic that recovery in the affected areas of Aceh can proceed more quickly, while strengthening regional resilience against potential future disasters.