Tito Proposes Extension of Aceh's Special Autonomy Funds: Post-Disaster Recovery Requires 3 Years

Tito conveyed this during a working meeting of Commission II of the House of Representatives at the parliamentary complex in Senayan, Jakarta, on Monday (13/4/2026). Initially, Tito said he had received numerous proposals regarding the extension of Aceh’s special autonomy funds. “Indeed, during visits and receptions of delegations from Aceh, they always convey requests that, because the poverty rate is still high above the national and Sumatra averages, unemployment is also high, although the Human Development Index has improved but remains below the national level, they still need special autonomy funds,” Tito stated. “And they propose, perhaps looking at Papua’s increase to 2.25% until 2040 or 2041? And they also hope that this special autonomy will be extended and the amount of funds, if it can’t be the same as Papua’s 2.25%, returned to 2%. That’s the request from friends there,” he continued. According to him, the proposal is quite rational. Moreover, he said, Aceh is currently still in a post-disaster recovery phase. “As the head of the task force, I estimate that the timeline to normality, just functional normality, might be possible in the next 2 to 3 months,” he remarked. However, he noted that government repair efforts are often hampered by follow-up disasters. Such as the floods that recently struck Pidie Jaya and Central Aceh. “Last week in Central Aceh, heavy rain caused roads to landslide again, several bridges were swept away. Then two days ago in Pidie Jaya, flooding again, the Regent reported to me 50 cm to 80 cm of mud there. Even though we had already carried out repairs,” he explained. “This is the situation on the ground. Roads that were cut off again despite having been opened. Now everyone is working hard, from the TNI, Police, Ministry of Public Works, BNPB, all are working to carry out re-normalisation,” he added. Furthermore, Tito stated that Aceh’s post-disaster recovery would require at least three years. Because the scale of damage from the disaster is quite extensive. “But honestly, to carry out this recovery, the fastest in my opinion is three years,” he said. He explained that more than 4,000 educational facilities were affected, around 36,000 houses suffered severe damage or were lost, and at least 79 rivers require normalisation. Tito thus proposed that Aceh’s special autonomy funds be extended again. “This might also be one of the drivers if, in our view, there is a need to extend the special autonomy funds in Aceh and if the state’s fiscal capacity allows, perhaps return it to 2%, that’s our suggestion,” he concluded.