Purbaya Confirms Budget Readiness to Assist NTT Earthquake Response

Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa has guaranteed the availability of financing support to assist with the handling and post-disaster recovery following the earthquake that struck East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).

Purbaya conveyed this via telephone during a meeting of the House of Representatives’ Post-Disaster Management Task Force (Satgas Galapana) on Sunday, 16 August 2026.

“To all members of the DPR who are there, and to everyone attending the meeting tonight, the Finance Minister is ready to assist with financing needs there [in NTT],” Purbaya said in his statement on Monday, 17 August 2026.

Purbaya said the government has in fact formulated a layered disaster response financing mechanism. During the emergency response, the government will first optimise the available budget allocation at the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB).

“For the first stage, we usually use funds from BNPB that we have already prepared. There is still around Rp5 trillion, if I am not mistaken. Some of it may have been used, but it is still sufficient,” he said.

Purbaya stressed that if the emergency response budget allocation is deemed insufficient to meet the escalating needs on the ground, the fiscal authority is ready to inject additional funds sourced from Non-Tax State Revenue (PNBP).

Purbaya said the disaster management design will be executed in a measured and phased manner, starting from the emergency response period and shifting to the reconstruction phase. To smooth this transition, the government has prepared standby or on-call funds within the state budget that can be drawn at any time for emergency purposes.

“Indeed, on-call funds for every disaster response are already on standby,” Purbaya said.

Regarding the reconstruction of public facilities that have suffered severe damage and, under regulations, cannot be covered through BNPB’s budget, Purbaya emphasised the need for cross-agency synchronisation.

The rebuilding of public infrastructure must be closely coordinated with the relevant technical ministries and agencies.