Govt Disburses Rp985.8 Billion for Lombok Quake Relief Efforts
Finance Minister Sri Mulyani visits Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, Thursday (23/8). (Photo: Facebook/ Ministry of Finance)
The Indonesian Government has disbursed Rp985.8 billion for emergency humanitarian aid in the wake of Lombok quake, according to Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani Indrawati.
The amount consists of Rp557.7 billion from the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) and Rp428.1 billion from ministries/institutions, the Minister posted in her Facebook fanpage from Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), Thursday (23/8).
The Minister added that the Government will rebuild and reconstruct buildings to restore activities and economy of the affected residents, as well as accelerate the recovery of administration of regional government. The process of repairing and rebuilding areas affected by disaster in Lombok, the Minister added, will be carried out throughout 2018.
In 2019, as mandated in the bill on the State Budget for the 2019 Fiscal Year, the Government has allocated approximately Rp1 trillion to several ministries/institutions such as the BNPB, Ministry of Social Affairs, Ministry of Education and Culture, Ministry of Villages, Disadvantaged Regions, and Transmigration to be disbursed or reallocated/revised by the related ministries/institutions at the beginning of the 2019 fiscal year, to ensure that basic aid will be given and post-quake reconstruction processes will be conducted continuously.
In addition to the budget, Sri Mulyani added that the Government in the bill on the State Budget for the 2019 Fiscal Year also allocates a more significant amount of Reserved Fund for Disaster Relief that can be used to carry on the granting of basic aid and repairing and rebuilding processes to return and improve socioeconomic status of the affected residents, including those living in Lombok.
The plan was prepared by the Government since the very beginning to maintain the Governments support in the development of areas affected by Lombok quake so that those regions can return to normal state, Sri Mulyani said.
Beside preparing the budget for disaster relief efforts, the Minister explained that the Government has also developed and conducted a better mitigation system and it is expected to be more advance in the upcoming years. We have the BNPB and the BNPD (Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency) which serve as the engine of disaster relief efforts at national and regional level, the Minister said, adding that with a better disaster relief system, the budget allocated is expected can be distributed to right target, region, and time with adequate amount and quality.
Sri Mulyani further said that in the wake of the quake, the Government has distributed aids in a form of basic necessities needed by the affected resident that taken from the 2018 State Budget allocating to several ministries/institutions.
For the record, the BNPB prepared budget amounting Rp1.1 trillion for Disaster Mitigation Program which is used as the first source of funding for assistance to Lombok. As many as Rp557.7 billion out of the total amount of budget has been disbursed for among others, performing surgeries and buying logistics such as foods, family kit, clothes, and tents.
Sri Mulyani further said that in the first phase, budget to rehabilitate 5,000 severely damaged house, with compensation money of the Rp50 million per house has been disbursed. In the meantime, the second phase is the reconstruction of the 5,000 houses, while the budget to reconstruct moderately, lightly damaged house is still being prepared by the Government through Ministry of Finance and the BNPB.
The Government strives to examine/verify damaged houses to immediately provide assistance and reconstruct, the Minister said, adding that a number of ministries/institutions have also allocated budget of Rp428.1 billion, with the following details:
| Ministry of Education and Culture. | Rp230 billion. | Emergency tents for teaching and learning activities, teachers, and mobile & school kit. |
| Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing. | Rp176.2billion | To mobilize water tankers, portable toilet trucks, dump trucks, toilet cabin, generators and emergency tents. |
| Minister of Social Affairs | Rp12.6 billion | Logistics (clothes, foods, tents), compensation for the heirs of the victims, staple food packages, and establishment of a emergency common kitchen. |
| Ministry of Health | Rp7.8 billion | Environmental health logistics, medicines, nutrient-rich foods, orthopedic set, hospital tent, logistic needs for baby delivery, and other medical equipment. |
| Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources. | Rp1.5 billion | To dig emergency wells near shelters. |
The Indonesian National Defense Forces (TNI) and the Indonesian National Police (Polri) have also mobilized personnel and equipment to help search and rescue of the victims.
The Minister explained that in order to anticipate disaster, Reserved Fund for Disaster Relief amounting Rp3.3 trillion was allocated in the 2018 State Budget in which the use will be coordinated with the BNPB.
She added that the BNPB has proposed additional assistances for Lombok to Ministry of Finance aimed at reconstructing several damage, including: houses of the residents, schools, roads, bridges, government offices, and other socioeconomic infrastructures and facilities.
The 2018 State Budget is allocated to carry out rehabilitation and reconstruction which will be used this year, Sri Mulyani added.
Beside budget allocated to the BNPB, the Government also still has the opportunity to reallocate or revise budget from ministries/institutions to accelerate assistance provided to Lombok residents in accordance with the needs and remaining time for budget execution and disbursement until the end of 2018 fiscal year, the Minister added.
(EN/ES) (RAS/EP/Naster)
