Rp100 trillion Sumatra disaster recovery fund approved as Purbaya confirms funds available

Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa confirmed the government has prepared fiscal space since late last year to support accelerated disaster recovery efforts. Purbaya assured the public there is no need to worry about the allocated budget for Sumatra’s post-disaster recovery. Previously, the Ministry of Finance had allocated around Rp60 trillion for priority needs, including disaster response.

‘I hope this approach will speed up disaster-related budget disbursements. So don’t worry, the funds are available,’ Purbaya said at the Indonesian House of Representatives complex in Jakarta on Monday, 25 May 2026.

The Rp60 trillion allocated this year from efficiency measures has not been fully utilised.

‘From the start of the year and late last year, we had already prepared Rp60 trillion. It turned out less was used this year as it was divided among infrastructure projects,’ Purbaya said.

He stressed that the main obstacle has not been budget availability, but incomplete documentation from ministries and proposing agencies.

‘Sometimes the documents from ministries and agencies are incomplete. So we release the funds once the documents are complete,’ he said.

Purbaya said the Ministry of Finance is now adopting a new approach to prevent delays in disaster fund disbursement. He instructed his directors to actively follow up on all disaster-related budget requests.

‘I told my directors that if there are disaster-related budget requests, they should follow up immediately, calling the ministries or agencies if documents are missing,’ he said.

Moreover, the ministry is prepared to send personnel directly to relevant ministries or agencies to assist with administrative processes if needed.

‘If they cannot prepare the documents, we will send people there to help,’ Purbaya added.

Previously, the government and Indonesian House of Representatives agreed on a Master Plan for Accelerated Disaster Recovery and Reconstruction in Sumatra during a coordination meeting.

The government approved Rp100.166 trillion for the disaster recovery and reconstruction programme in Sumatra over the next three years.

Chair of the government’s Disaster Recovery and Reconstruction Task Force, Tito Karnavian, confirmed the budget received government and parliamentary approval.