Sumatra Disaster Reconstruction Budget, Interior Minister Urges Swift Execution

The Minister of Home Affairs and Head of the Task Force for Acceleration of Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (Satgas PRR) for Sumatra Disasters, Muhammad Tito Karnavian, has urged ministries and agencies (K/L) to expedite the disbursement and realization of budgets for rehabilitation and reconstruction (rehab-rekon). During a meeting of the Satgas PRR in Jakarta, Minister Tito emphasized that accelerating budget disbursement is a pressing concern due to the limited timeframe for program implementation within the current year. The government has allocated budgets for the rehab-rekon from the Sumatra disasters, which are being implemented in phases involving 33 K/L. According to Minister Tito, most of the main K/L have already obtained budget approval and have begun implementing programs in the affected areas. However, some K/L are experiencing delays in budget approval due to incomplete supporting documents and unclear program details. "So, for the PICs (persons in charge) who have not yet received approval, your achievement is how you can get this through by showing convincing and complete documentation," said Minister Tito. He instructed the Satgas PRR personnel and K/L PICs to coordinate intensively with the Ministry of Finance, particularly the Directorate General of Budget, to resolve any obstacles in budget submission promptly. Minister Tito also urged K/L whose budgets have been disbursed to immediately implement their programs. He mentioned several ongoing rehab-rekon programs, including those in public works, education, health, marine and fisheries, agriculture, environment, religion, forestry, and the empowerment of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (UMKM). In addition to overseeing K/L budget allocations, the Satgas PRR will also ensure that budget support for local governments (Pemda) is used to address disaster impacts. Affected local governments have previously received various additional budget supports, including a Transfer to the Regions (TKD) amounting to Rp10.6 trillion. Minister Tito stressed that these additional funds must be directed towards meeting needs that cannot be covered by the central government alone. Source: CNN Indonesia