Tito: Funding Support Must Be Optimised for Forest and Land Fire Response
Jakarta (ANTARA) – Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian said funding support for forest and land fire response must quickly be translated into operational measures that accelerate efforts to tackle the fires and reduce their impact on communities.
“Public safety is the top priority. I urge regional heads to make the best use of this assistance to strengthen firefighting, protect residents from the effects of smoke and meet the needs of personnel in the field. Act quickly, target the assistance appropriately and ensure accountability, while following the established mechanisms for budgeting and use of the funds,” Tito said in a statement in Jakarta on Monday.
The government has again distributed presidential assistance for forest and land fire response, worth Rp480 billion, to 44 districts and cities in seven provinces.
With this additional allocation, assistance distributed in two rounds totals Rp1.24 trillion. The government provided Rp760 billion in the first round on 7 September 2026.
The funding is intended to strengthen firefighting operations, protect communities from smoke, meet the needs of personnel in the field and support the restoration of burned peatland ecosystems.
The Home Affairs Minister has also issued Circular Letter No. 300.2.8/8481/SJ, dated 23 October 2026. It provides operational guidance on budgeting, use, oversight and reporting for central government assistance and financial assistance from other regional governments for fire response.
Under the circular, funding may be used for ground firefighting and peatland injection methods, including fuel, supplies and field operations, as well as the deployment of response teams.
It may also cover the operation of evacuation centres, distribution of supplies, evacuations, health preparedness, free medical services for people suffering from acute respiratory infections (ARI) caused by smoke, and wildlife rescue.
Assistance may also fund medical supplies, masks, vitamins and medicines, portable oxygen, firefighting incentives, logistical support for the Fire-Aware Community (MPA) and volunteers, and the restoration of burned peatland ecosystems.
In the second allocation, Central Kalimantan received Rp110 billion for nine regions; South Sumatra Rp100 billion for ten; South Kalimantan Rp80 billion for seven; and Riau Rp70 billion for seven.
West Kalimantan and Jambi each received Rp40 billion for four regions, while East Kalimantan received Rp40 billion for three. The allocations range from Rp10 billion to Rp20 billion per region.
The article also listed allocations of Rp205 billion for West Kalimantan; Rp125 billion for Central Kalimantan; Rp100 billion each for Riau, South Sumatra and Kalimantan; Rp85 billion for Jambi; and Rp45 billion for East Kalimantan.
The circular further states that the mechanism for using the assistance should reflect the emergency status of each region. Districts and cities that have declared an emergency response are to budget the funds under unexpected expenditure.
Where an emergency response has ended, or a region has not declared one, the funds are to be budgeted through the relevant regional government agency, within its authority, under the appropriate programmes, activities and sub-activities.
This allows fire response efforts to continue through the appropriate budget mechanisms.
Safrizal ZA, director general of regional administration at the Home Affairs Ministry, stressed the importance of linking budget support to operational needs and outcomes on the ground.
“Map priority locations, water availability, equipment needs and personnel capacity. Strengthen coordination at command posts so that support reaches the firefighters and communities who need it. When an emergency response ends, ensure outstanding response needs are followed up by the relevant regional agencies within their authority and in accordance with the established mechanisms,” he said.