Pidie Jaya Receives Rp 616.5 Billion in Fiscal Transfer Plus Heavy Equipment Support; PRR Task Force Head Tito Urges Local Government to Accelerate Regional Recovery
The Interior Minister Tito Karnavian continues to drive the acceleration of recovery efforts in disaster-affected areas within Pidie Jaya District, Aceh Special Region Province. The Interior Minister, acting as Chair of the Post-Disaster Acceleration of Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (PRR) Task Force for Sumatra, is providing additional support in the form of heavy equipment to expedite the clearance of mud and debris that continues to cover several areas. This assistance is expected to strengthen the capacity of the local government to accelerate environmental recovery and community activities.
In a message to the Pidie Jaya Regent, the Interior Minister emphasised that the central government has channelled various forms of support to affected communities. Initial assistance from the Ministry of Social Affairs to Pidie Jaya District was even the largest compared to other districts across the three affected provinces. Additionally, the government is expanding heavy equipment support to enable the cleaning and recovery process to proceed more rapidly.
“Utilise the existing local budget to work, mobilise communities through cash for work schemes for mud and timber clearance. River management will be handled by the Ministry of Public Works,” stated Interior Minister Tito in his message to Pidie Jaya Regent Sibral Malasyi. Details of heavy equipment already available include one 20-tonne excavator, one 10-13 tonne excavator that has arrived, one mini excavator with another unit yet to arrive, three rubber-tyred wheel loaders, and 13 dump trucks that have arrived out of a planned 20 units.
Beyond heavy equipment assistance, Pidie Jaya District has also received adjustments to its 2026 fiscal transfer allocation (TKD). According to PRR Task Force data, the fiscal transfer allocation for fiscal year 2025 for Pidie Jaya was Rp 584 billion. The fiscal transfer allocation for fiscal year 2026 following adjustment has been increased to Rp 616.5 billion. This demonstrates that the central government has devoted fiscal resources and attention in the form of equipment assistance to enable the local government to move quickly in conducting cleanup and recovery of disaster-affected areas.
With additional heavy equipment from the central government, the local government is expected to promptly allocate budget and mobilise community participation to ensure the recovery process proceeds more effectively. This encouragement simultaneously opens space for innovation in post-disaster management.
Local government is permitted to employ labour-intensive or paid community cooperation schemes (cash for work) coordinated by the local administration. This scheme is regarded as a breakthrough approach to sustain mud clearance efforts. By directly involving communities, the rehabilitation process not only proceeds faster but also provides economic benefits to affected residents.
Tito hopes that Pidie Regent Sibral Malasyi will promptly initiate mud clearance across all areas whilst also utilising community cooperation schemes. With heavy equipment support and budgetary flexibility, the local government is expected to move faster to ensure rehabilitation and reconstruction processes proceed optimally to restore community livelihoods.