Turning pledges into reality the main obstacle in Aceh, Nias

The director of the Aceh and Nias Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Agency (BRR), Kuntoro Mangkusubroto, talked with The Jakarta Post contributor Anastashya Emmanuelle about the problems he has been facing to date. The following are excerpts from the conversation.

Question: What's the main obstacle in reconstructing Aceh and Nias?

Answer: I can say that the main problem is how to get the US$7 billion pledged by private parties and NGOs for Aceh and Nias. While $7 billion has been pledged, a pledge is but a pledge and has not been realized yet. So the question is, how can we convert into reality the $7 billion pledged toward reconstruction in Aceh and Nias -- that's a challenge for us.

As we know, there are issues that are particularly sensitive for donors from other countries -- such as from Western Europe, the U.S., Japan, Malaysia and Singapore. They are very sensitive to the issue of corruption. Preventing corruption is the main point in our agenda to ensure that the $7 billion pledged will come to Indonesia to finance the building of roads, hospitals and homes.

What are the most urgent tasks facing you?

People can't continue to live in tents and barracks. It's been six months now that they have been living in temporary shelters. It's very difficult for them to live like this in the long term. I believe that housing is the biggest priority to be addressed in the near future. Housing is the most basic, but creating jobs is also important. People have dignity and a sense of self-respect, they can't be living on donations forever.

That means that parallel to building homes, I must also try to revitalize the business sector and the economy, for example, by rebuilding fishing ports, market, etc.

So aside from getting the housing situation under control, we must also be able to help them regain their livelihoods as quickly as possible.

What about the sense of urgency among the bureaucrats and lawmakers in Jakarta?

Yes, all of them have a sense of urgency, in the bureaucracy in the legislature. But one thing, the administrative support function is designed to function in a normal situation. For instance, how are we going to get disbursements from the state budget? The process is still designed to function under normal circumstances.

Yet the people there desperately need help, while things continue to be snagged up in the administrative process.

At the moment, we have funding from other sources, around $2 billion, $1.2 billion from the Red Cross and Red Crescent, $245 million from USAID for rebuilding the road connecting Meulaboh to Banda Aceh, $250 million from the multi-donors trust fund for the building of houses at the subdistrict level -- this is the money that we will spend immediately.

Hopefully two months from now the $1.2 billion will be there on the ground. We are expecting the approval of some of this in about two days from now. This will come from some NGOs, UN organizations as well as some private donors. So, these are the immediate funds that we have and these will be disbursed immediately to rebuild Aceh and Nias. So, even if the state budget funds only start to flow in, lets say, two moths from now, we're not going to be unduly put out as we already have around $2 billion that's ready to be disbursed.

How do you plan to help the people rebuild their lives and regain their livelihoods?

By giving them their jobs back, by restoring their livelihoods, for example, through micro-financing for small enterprises and micro-financing for fishermen so that they can acquire boats. As for the farmers, we will have to clean up their paddy fields and irrigation systems, provide seeds and fertilizer. As for the others, for example small contractors, we will have to provide them with skills, such as welding skills. Chevron has agreed to provide training for construction welders, brick layers, etc.

The German government has agreed to provide vocational training for electricians, while a French NGO has agreed to help rehabilitate shrimp ponds, etc. All of this will hopefully get underway next month. Some is already underway, such as the provision of assistance to fishermen by Mercy Corps. As for micro-financing, more time is needed for coordination in order to ensure that everything is carried out in a more conceptual way. Thus, we are encouraging the participation of the international NGOs in leading the way.

What kind of agency do you think we need to tackle emergency situations?

We need an agency that's especially designed and equipped to work in emergency situations. Like in the U.S. they have FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency). We must learn from their experience in the U.S. I understand that Japan and Australia have the same kind of agencies. When we are trying to assist a community that has been struck by a huge disaster like this, it's not only about providing assistance with the building of homes, roads, temporary shelters, but it is also about how to restore their livelihoods. That's the one thing that's never touched.

When do you expect reconstruction funds from the state budget to become available?

I wish I could say as soon as possible, but as you know a plenary session has yet to be held.

There seems to be confusion among those wishing to participate in the reconstruction work as to which government agency they should talk to. When it comes to coordination, the authority over all reconstruction activities in Aceh and Nias, I always urge international agencies or NGOs to go straight to Banda Aceh. No need to go to Jakarta.

There are always question about how to participate in the reconstruction process. For example, the one that we received from the German government. They were confused as they were accustomed to approaching ministries in Jakarta before coming to Banda Aceh.

But now it seems the only agency that's confused is JICA from Japan. Seems like they are not well-informed about the BRR. I hope that once they understand that the BRR is the only agency that has been given the authority by the government over the rebuilding of Aceh and Nias, they will come to us to discuss their programs in Aceh and Nias.