At present, West Java provincial administration, assisted by the central government, can only afford to rebuild around 20 percent of homes damaged by the 7.3-magnitude earthquake that struck the province last September.
The Sept. 2, 2009 quake destroyed or damaged more than 260,000 homes in 14 regencies and municipalities across West Java.
The head of the provincial administration’s earthquake response team, Pery Soeparman, said so far the local administration had only disbursed Rp 240 billion (about US$24 million) in quake funds from its 2009 budget — to repair around 24,000 moderately damaged homes.
The central government, meanwhile, had provided only Rp 250 billion, including Rp 180.6 billion to restore 5,739 severely and 9,996 slightly damaged homes, he said.
The worst-hit regencies from the quake included Bandung, Ciamis, Garut, Kuningan, Majalengka, Tasikmalaya, Ciajur, Sukabumi, West Bandung and Tasikmalaya city.
Each of the severely damaged houses were to receive Rp 15 million, while moderately damaged houses would receive Rp 10 million. The remaining Rp 35.5 billion of assistance funds from the central government was to be used to cover meal allowances for displaced people, and Rp 1.5 billion would be used for family kits.
Pery said the central government, which pledged to provide quake victims with a total of Rp 1.7 trillion in 2009 and 2010, would not be able to provide this amount by 2010.
He said the central government had not been able to fulfill its initial promise for Rp 1.7 trillion in 2009, because it had to share emergency relief funds with the West Sumatra quake relief effort.
The central government had to provide Rp 1.228 trillion in quake assistance funds after the 2009 fiscal budget.
While the initial stage reconstruction program was planned to be completed by April this year, it may not be complete until June because of a delay in the disbursement of funds by the central government in 2009, Pery said.
The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (PNPB) has provided Rp 30.3 billion to West Java administration, to be used to pay 723 facilitators, quality control managers and psycho-social funds.
These facilitators will provide guidance to between five and 15 community groups to build homes.
— JP/Yuli Tri Suwarni
