President Jokowi: Fire Incompetent Officials
President Jokowi delivers his directive during the 2019 National Coordination Meeting on Forest and Land Fires, at the State Palace, Jakarta, Tuesday (6/8). (Photo by: Deny S/PR)
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo instructed governors, Military Commanders (Pangdam), and Regional Police Chiefs (Kapolda) to collaborate to resolve and prevent wildfire as well as to discharge incompetent officials who cannot resolve and prevent the problem.
“Take preventive measures. Immediately extinguish all fires, even the smallest one. (We have suffered) great losses,” President Jokowi said during the 2019 National Coordination Meeting on Forest and Land Fires, at the State Palace, Jakarta, Tuesday (6/8).
In the meantime, the President reminded the Pangdam, Military Resort Post Commanders (Danrem), Kapolda, and Regency Police Chiefs (Kapolres), that the directive he once mentioned in 2015 on incompetent officials’ replacement still apply today. “I have talked with the Indonesian National Defense Forces (TNI) Commander and the Indonesian Police (Polri) Chief and instructed them to fire those who cannot resolve the wildfire,” President Jokowi said.
The President also instructed the regional governments, governors, regents, and mayors to support (this effort) since the country has experienced huge economic losses.
“So once more, let me remind you that our rules still apply. I do not want to see an emergency alert status. Extinguish all wildfires, even the smallest one,” the President stated.
Besides extinguishing the fire, the President also asked them to prioritize prevention through integrated early detection patrol to monitor daily conditions on the ground. He also called for rearrangement of peat ecosystems in the peat hydrological area.
“Finally, I want law enforcement measures to continue to be taken. I have monitored and noticed that the implementation on the ground has been done quite well without any compromise,” the President said.
President Jokowi was also ashamed that the wildfire has made headline in the neighboring countries, Malaysia and Singapore.
On 2015, according to the President, more than 2.6 million hectares have burned, and cost the country Rp221 trillion of financial losses, whereas in 2018, the figures were reduced by 81%. However, this year the figures increase. “It’s going up again. This should not happen. It should go down each year,” he stated.
The President admitted that to totally eliminate the wildfire is not an easy task. However, we must continue taking prevention measures so that the figures can be reduced. (HIM/DNS/ES)
Translated by : Fairuzzamani Inayatillah
Edited by : Rany A. Subachrum, Mia M. Bonaedy
