Solidarity from North Sumatra and West Sumatra Drives Aceh's Recovery through Rp287 Billion Grant
Solidarity between regions in the post-hydrometeorological disaster recovery in Sumatra continues to strengthen, particularly between North Sumatra (Sumut), West Sumatra (Sumbar), and Aceh. Concrete support is demonstrated through inter-regional grants totalling Rp287 billion to assist recovery in the affected areas of Aceh.
The Task Force for Accelerating Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (Satgas PRR) Post-Sumatra Disaster records that the contributions come from local governments in Sumut and Sumbar. This grant scheme is sourced from the return of Regional Transfers (TKD) utilised to support accelerated recovery.
As many as 12 local governments in Sumbar participated in the grant distribution. This contribution complements support from 8 local governments in Sumut that previously provided similar aid.
From Sumbar, the total grant collected reaches Rp27 billion. Padang City contributes Rp5 billion, while Payakumbuh City and Padang Panjang City each Rp3 billion, with other regions contributing between Rp1 billion and Rp2 billion.
Meanwhile, from Sumut, the total grant accumulated reaches Rp260 billion. Thus, the accumulation of aid from both provinces reaches Rp287 billion, which will be directly channelled to areas in Aceh that are still heavily impacted.
Head of Satgas PRR Post-Sumatra Disaster, Muhammad Tito Karnavian, stated that this grant mechanism is designed so that aid can be immediately utilised by the recipient regions. At the Appreciation Event for High-Achieving Local Governments in Palembang, South Sumatra, last weekend, he emphasised the task force’s role in ensuring the distribution flow is accurate.
“We only connect inter-regional grants, so this aid can be directly felt. We oversee the mechanism, from account to account, to ensure it is on target and quickly utilised by regions in need,” he said in a written statement on Wednesday (29/4).
Tito explained that the central government had previously allocated and returned TKD worth Rp10.6 trillion to support recovery in the three affected provinces. This scheme provides fiscal space for less severely impacted regions to assist areas with greater recovery needs.
According to Tito, several areas in Aceh still face challenges in the recovery process. Risks of follow-up disasters such as floods and landslides also need to be anticipated, making cross-regional support deemed important for sustaining recovery.
“The total aid from these two provinces is expected to accelerate Aceh’s recovery. This is a tangible manifestation of solidarity and mutual cooperation between regions in facing disasters,” he concluded.
Satgas PRR will continue to ensure that the grant distribution process is strictly monitored. Supervision is carried out both administratively and in implementation on the ground to ensure accountability and effectiveness of budget use.
This inter-regional collaboration is expected to accelerate recovery in Aceh. Additionally, this step is also considered important for strengthening regional resilience in facing potential future disasters.