Tito Urges Acceleration of Damage Assessment for Disaster Aid in Central Tapanuli

Home Affairs Minister and Head of the Task Force for Accelerating Post-Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction in Sumatra, Muhammad Tito Karnavian, has emphasised that local governments should immediately accelerate the assessment of housing damage caused by the disaster. The assessment must include categories of minor, moderate, and severe damage, serving as the primary basis for distributing aid to affected communities.

“If there is no classification of minor, moderate, and severe as mentioned, the aid funds cannot be disbursed,” said Tito in a written statement on Friday (27/3/2026).

Tito explained that the government has set aid amounts based on the level of housing damage. For minor damage, residents are entitled to Rp15 million, while moderate damage receives Rp30 million. In addition, the government is preparing social aid through the Ministry of Social Affairs, including a living guarantee (jadup) of Rp15,000 per person per day for three months, household furniture aid of Rp3 million, and economic aid worth Rp5 million.

To accelerate the process, Tito has instructed the Regent of Central Tapanuli, Masinton Pasaribu, to immediately form a special assessment team. The team will involve BPBD, the Social Services Office, and Dukcapil, with support from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), and is targeted to complete the assessment within one week with adequate budget support.

Furthermore, Tito stressed that the government will not hesitate to take firm action against parties hindering the acceleration of disaster response. He also asked regional heads to evaluate and report officials who do not support the process.

“This is a disaster situation; do not let the community become victims,” he asserted.

Meanwhile, the government through the Ministry of Housing and Settlement Areas (PKP), the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), and the Ministry of Social Affairs has expressed full readiness to realise construction and aid distribution. Currently, physical construction, including permanent housing (huntap), is still awaiting complete valid data and the provision of legal land from the Central Tapanuli Regency Government.