Gov’t Allocates Rp4 Trillion for Lombok’s Quake Relief Efforts: Cabinet Secretary

By Office of Assistant to Deputy Cabinet Secretary for State Documents & Translation     Date 23 Agustus 2018
Category: News
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Cabinet Secretary answers reporters’ questions, Jakarta, Thursday (23/8). (Photo by: Oji/Public Relations Division)

Cabinet Secretary answers reporters’ questions, Jakarta, Thursday (23/8). (Photo by: Oji/Public Relations Division)

Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung has dismissed speculation that the Government allocated only Rp38 billion in the relief efforts in the wake of the earthquake that rocked the tourist island of Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) province.

“Let me get this straight. The budget (for Lombok’s quake relief efforts) is over Rp4 trillion,” Pramono told reporters in Jakarta, Thursday (23/8).

He went on to say that to rehabilitate a damaged house, the Government has allocated Rp50 million, Rp25 million, and Rp10 million for severely, moderately, lightly damaged house respectively and if combined, the total amount is substantial.

“So, if there are some who question the budget which is only Rp38 billion, they do not have empathy for the problems we are facing in Lombok,” Pramono said, adding that although the Government has allocated a budget of Rp4 trillion more, he confirmed that the amount is likely to be increased because the Government will provide assistance regardless of the number of damaged houses.

Cabinet Secretary revealed that President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has signed a Presidential Instruction on Lombok quake relief efforts and in essence, under the instruction, the handling of Lombok quake is equally treated as a national disaster.

Regarding speculation over why Lombok quake is not declared as a national disaster, Pramono explained that if it is a national disaster, foreigners could enter Lombok at will, while in fact, the Government is still able to handle and solve the problem of the Lombok Earthquake itself.

Pramono further said that the Vice President on Wednesday flew to Lombok, the President last week flew to Lombok, and later in the evening the TNI Commander and the Police Chief are scheduled to lead direct coordination on the ground., showing that the Central Government pays a serious attention to Lombok.

In the meantime, the basic substance of the Presidential Instruction on the Impact of the Lombok Earthquake, according to Pramono, is to instruct Minister of Public Works and Public Housing as the coordinator assisted by the TNI-Polri and the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) to immediately rehabilitate tdamaged facilities. He added that relief efforts taken by the Government is solely for the sake of the people in Lombok, Sumbawa, East Nusa Tenggara.

“We learn from other nations such as Japan that we should stand together to address the problem and not circulate false information instead,” Pramono concluded. (FID/ES) (MUR/EP/YM/Naster).

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