Task Force Commander: "Cash for Work" Scheme Accelerates Aceh's Economic Recovery
Jakarta (ANTARA) — Head of the Regional Task Force (Kasatgaswil) for the Acceleration of Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (PRR) in Aceh, Safrizal Zakaria Ali, said the government’s efforts to restore Aceh’s post-disaster economy have been a priority since late 2025, including through cash-for-work schemes.
“Various community empowerment instruments such as cash for work, labor-intensive programs, and MSME assistance continue to be strengthened so that residents affected by floods and landslides have sources of income, allowing economic activity to resume,” Safrizal said in Jakarta on Sunday.
Safrizal made the remarks at the Post-Flood and Landslide Disaster Recovery Symposium for Aceh, organized by the Acehnese Global Diaspora at the House of Representatives building in Senayan, Central Jakarta, on Sunday. The event, attended by hundreds of participants from Jakarta and Aceh, served as an important platform for sharing strategic ideas on accelerating Aceh’s post-flood and landslide recovery.
Safrizal said the central government, through the PRR Task Force established in January 2026, has moved quickly in coordinating disaster impact response across 18 affected regencies and cities in Aceh. “The national task force is led by Pak Tito, orchestrating 26 ministers and agency heads to ensure cross-ministry/agency synergy in resolving issues on the ground,” he said.
He stressed that the Regional Task Force in Aceh is directed at resolving various obstacles and barriers in the field so that post-disaster work remains on an accelerated track. “In a tiered manner, if there are obstacles in the field, the Aceh Regional Task Force head steps in directly to resolve them. If they cannot be resolved, Pak Tito as National Task Force head will contact the relevant minister for a swift solution,” Safrizal said.
Safrizal also touched on important lessons from previous major disaster responses. “From the experience after the 2004 tsunami, the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Agency (BRR) was only formed after four months. Now, the PRR Acceleration Task Force was formed within one month based on a Presidential Decree. This shows the government’s response is far faster and more coordinated,” he said.
The government’s steps are in line with various ongoing recovery efforts in Aceh, including the transition from the emergency response phase to the recovery phase carried out since late January 2026. The Aceh Provincial Government has declared a Transition from Emergency to Disaster Recovery status, aimed at accelerating the restoration of connectivity, infrastructure rehabilitation, and economic recovery in affected areas.
The symposium served as an important moment to consolidate thinking and strategic recommendations from various parties—from Acehnese diaspora activists, academics, to development practitioners—which will be presented to various stakeholders, particularly the PRR Task Force, as input for drafting the master plan and action plan for post-disaster rehabilitation and reconstruction.