Public Works Minister Expands Mandate of Infrastructure Emergency Response Task Force

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Minister of Public Works Dody Hanggodo has decided to expand the principal duties and functions (tupoksi) of the task force into a Disaster Impact Infrastructure Emergency Response and Rehabilitation Task Force for the Public Works Sector, covering the whole of Indonesia.

“Initially, this task force was formed to assist with handling in Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra. After we evaluated it, its working pattern proved quite helpful. Meanwhile, disasters do not only occur in Sumatra. That is why I have decided to widen its coverage, so that when there are needs in other regions, we already have teams and mechanisms ready to be deployed,” Dody said in Jakarta on Monday.

The task force will act as the coordination hub within the Ministry of Public Works to consolidate field needs, technical units, personnel, equipment and other necessary support. Dody also requested that the chain of coordination be made as short as possible so that responses on the ground can be carried out more quickly.

“I have asked for the coordination to be made as short as possible. Once a report comes in from the field, it must immediately be clear what is most urgent, who is handling it, where the equipment and support come from, and then the team moves. In a disaster situation, time means a great deal to the public,” he said.

“I share the concern for our brothers and sisters who have been struck by calamities in various regions. Conditions certainly differ from place to place, but for us at Public Works, what matters is being able to arrive quickly in line with needs on the ground. I have already instructed my staff to stand ready and move, especially to help maintain access and basic services for the community,” Dody said.

Indonesia is endowed with highly diverse landscapes and abundant natural resources. On the other hand, these geographical and geological conditions mean that various regions face different disaster risks, ranging from earthquakes, floods, landslides and droughts to volcanic eruptions.

“That is why preparedness and the ability to respond quickly are important, so that the needs of the public can be addressed immediately,” he said.