PRR Task Force Proposes Increase in Home Renovation Stimulus Funds
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Post-Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Task Force (Satgas PRR) for Sumatra has proposed an increase in stimulus assistance for severely damaged houses, from the original Rp60 million to Rp80 million per unit.
Lieutenant General TNI Suharyanto, Vice Chairman of the PRR Task Force and Head of the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), stated that the additional assistance will focus on two schemes for constructing permanent housing (huntap). The first is in-situ permanent housing, rebuilt at the original location, and the second is independent ex-situ permanent housing, built in new locations that are safer from disaster risks.
“So, there are 8,000 in-situ units and 8,000 independent ex-situ units, totaling approximately 16,000. However, so far, the data submitted to the BNPB from regional heads via a bottom-up approach includes about 14,500 units,” Suharyanto said in a statement in Jakarta on Saturday.
This was announced following a Ministerial-level Coordination Meeting regarding the Proposal for Adjusting Stimulus Assistance for Severely Damaged Houses Affected by Disasters, held at the Office of the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture in Jakarta on Thursday (2/7).
The proposal is designed to ensure that the housing built for post-disaster survivors is not merely reconstructed, but is also more decent, safe, and comfortable to inhabit. The increase in assistance is part of the government’s efforts to accelerate permanent recovery for disaster-affected communities, particularly those who have lost their homes.
The PRR Task Force stated that the construction of housing for survivors must address the basic needs of residents while considering long-term building quality.
According to Suharyanto, the proposal to adjust the assistance value to Rp80 million per unit is based on two main considerations. First, the rising cost of building materials. Second, the government’s commitment to improving the standard of housing decency for survivors so that the houses are more ready for occupation.
“Currently, the Rp60 million allocation does not include floor tiles or smooth plastering. The bathrooms do not have tiles. If we add Rp20 million, we can include tiles throughout. Additionally, there will be ceilings, and the exterior will include a terrace and tiled bathrooms,” he explained.
Currently, the BNPB is continuing to accelerate the construction of both in-situ and independent ex-situ permanent housing across three affected provinces. Out of the total requirement of approximately 16,000 units, about 800 units are currently in the construction phase.
Suharyanto emphasised that the proposal for the increase in assistance has reached a consensus at the ministerial and institutional levels and is now awaiting a decision from the President.
The Chairman of the Sumatra Post-Disaster PRR Task Force and Minister of Home Affairs, Muhammad Tito Karnavian, fully supports the proposal as a solution to accelerate the recovery of residents’ housing. Tito explained that the construction of in-situ and independent ex-situ permanent housing is highly complex due to being spread across many locations.
Therefore, the PRR Task Force has proposed using the BNPB’s Ready-to-Use Fund (DSP) mechanism to ensure that field implementation is more flexible, rapid, and precisely targeted.
“The in-situ and independent ex-situ permanent housing under the responsibility of the BNPB is more complex because they are individual projects. Therefore, we are proposing a specific mechanism, namely the Ready-to-Use Fund, because the BNPB possesses the necessary flexibility,” said Tito.