Trade Minister: Basic Food Supplies from NTB & East Java Support Needs of NTT Earthquake Victims

Trade Minister Budi Santoso has confirmed that inter-regional coordination remains in place to meet the needs of victims of the earthquake in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).

Budi said his ministry is optimising the distribution of staple food stocks from provinces closest to NTT, such as West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) and East Java, so that aid reaches its destination more quickly.

“In NTT we continue to monitor the distribution, so it does not arrive late. We continue to coordinate with the neighbouring provinces, such as NTB or also from Java, because Java has a large supply of eggs. East Java has a large supply of eggs,” Budi said in Jakarta on Monday, 17 August 2026.

He said this is in line with the Ministry of Trade’s efforts to adjust prices through business matching between regions experiencing supply needs and staple food price gaps.

“When prices in other regions rise, we create what is called inter-regional business matching. So we facilitate meetings between suppliers and buyers in the eastern region where prices are high, together with the relevant agencies and business actors,” Budi said.

In addition, he said his ministry is also continuing to monitor the need for staple goods and their distribution to disaster-affected areas.

This is carried out through cooperation with distributors in the nearest regions, the Directorate General of Domestic Trade at the Ministry of Trade, and local governments.

“We have also coordinated with distributors, especially those in other nearby provinces, in NTB for example. We have coordinated with business actors to maintain supplies, especially in the aftermath of this disaster in NTT,” he said.

Previously, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.7 occurred in Nagekeo Regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), on Saturday (15/8) at 05.58 WITA.

The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) on Sunday (16/8) evening recorded 54 fatalities, 199 people injured, 9,963 people displaced, and 1,528 households affected.

BNPB also recorded 2,403 houses damaged by the earthquake on the northern side of Flores Island, of which 1,543 suffered severe damage, 328 moderate damage, and 532 light damage.