Prabowo says government disaster response is getting faster

Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Prabowo Subianto has assessed that the government’s response in handling various natural disasters is now faster and more massive compared with disaster management in previous years.

“I believe that in facing the situation ahead, we will be more capable. Even now, compared with previous years, our response has been very fast,” said Prabowo whilst opening a limited meeting held virtually to discuss the handling of a number of disasters, at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Monday.

Prabowo said the government had demonstrated a sufficiently massive and rapid response in handling the floods and landslides in Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra.

According to him, the government also succeeded in restoring conditions in a number of affected areas by relying on national strength.

“We restored the situation in Aceh and in West Sumatra with our own strength. In my view, we have been quite successful,” he said.

Prabowo also assessed that the handling of forest and land fires (karhutla) in a number of regions had been carried out on a massive scale, although there were still some delays in certain areas.

The President asked that the various obstacles in disaster management be recorded as material for evaluation, so that the government can take anticipatory steps when similar events occur.

“I ask that in our planning, we apply the principle: better to have more than less,” he said.

On that occasion, the President stressed that the government must improve its preparedness, given that Indonesia lies within the Ring of Fire and faces various disaster potentials, including earthquakes, volcanic activity, and forest and land fires.

Prabowo also stated that the budget allocation for disaster mitigation must be increased significantly as an anticipatory measure in facing Indonesia’s potential disasters.

“We must be ready to face circumstances like this at any time. It is also a lesson for us, for the government that I lead, that the budget allocation for disaster mitigation must be increased significantly,” he said.

During the meeting, Prabowo requested reports on the progress of earthquake handling in Flores, the activity of Mount Anak Krakatau, and forest and land fires from a number of ministries, agencies and regional governments.