Reporting to Prabowo, Home Affairs Minister: Several Disaster-Affected Regional Governments in East Nusa Tenggara Slow to Disburse Budget

Jakarta, VIVA – Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian has reported to President Prabowo Subianto that a number of regional governments in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) remain slow in disbursing relief budgets for disaster response, including Presidential Assistance (Banpres) that has been channelled since 24 August 2026.

Tito said the Presidential Assistance totalled Rp 200 billion for nine areas in NTT, aimed at strengthening local capacity to handle the impacts of the disaster. Of this, NTT Province received Rp 40 billion, whilst eight other regencies and cities each received Rp 20 billion.

“In terms of realisation, we see that only NTT Province has moved quickly, having realised Rp 23 billion, or 43.23 percent,” Tito said in his report on Monday, 7 September 2026.

The total Unexpected Expenditure (BTT) budget for NTT Province currently stands at Rp 54.54 billion, comprising Rp 40 billion in Presidential Assistance, Rp 5.90 billion in regional government assistance, and Rp 8.64 billion in remaining BTT assistance from before the disaster.

Meanwhile, Sikka Regency is among the areas with very low realisation. Of the approximately Rp 21 billion available, only Rp 368 million has been spent. In detail, Sikka’s total BTT budget consists of Rp 20 billion in Presidential Assistance and just Rp 1.02 billion in remaining pre-disaster BTT funds.

“Sikka is actually concerning — only Rp 368 million has been spent out of Rp 21 billion,” he said.

This is despite the fact that, according to him, the Ministry of Home Affairs has issued a circular letter with guidelines on how to use the funds so they can be swiftly deployed for disaster response.

Tito stressed that budget use during the state of emergency can proceed through direct procurement mechanisms, so regional governments need not wait for lengthy procurement processes.

“We have already issued a circular letter with guidelines on rapid use of the funds. This can be done through direct procurement mechanisms during this emergency,” Tito said.

To accelerate budget realisation, the ministry has also dispatched Inspectorate General teams to accompany regional governments in spending the funds.

“We have sent four teams to assist with how the funds are used so that everything moves quickly and reaches communities in remote areas that may not be reached by central government resources,” he said.