Doni previously served as the commander of the Presidential Security Detail (Paspampres) during then-president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s administration in 2012. He was also the Army’s Special Forces (Kopassus) commander in 2014 before he was reassigned to lead the Pattimura Military Command in 2015 and the Siliwangi Military Command in 2017.
resident Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has appointed Lt. Gen. Doni Monardo as the new head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB).
Doni, 55, the former secretary-general of the National Resilience Council, was sworn in as the agency’s new head during a ceremony at the State Palace on Wednesday. He is replacing 63-year-old retired Navy admiral Willem Rampangilei.
Jokowi expects the three-star Army general to improve the leadership of the BNPB in the event of disasters and spearhead coordination between the central government and regional administrations.
"We have to be aware that Indonesia is in the Ring of Fire so we need strong leadership and management [...] to immediately provide disaster response and mitigation," Jokowi said after the inauguration on Wednesday.
The President added that strong leadership was needed now as the country was currently in the process of reconstructing several regions that had been struck by deadly disasters last year, including Lombok and Palu in Central Sulawesi.
Doni previously served as the commander of the Presidential Security Detail (Paspampres) during then-president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s (SBY) administration in 2012. He was also the Army’s Special Forces (Kopassus) commander in 2014 before he was reassigned to lead the Pattimura Military Command in 2015 and the Siliwangi Military Command in 2017.
When asked about his plans, Doni said he would first prioritize the reconstruction efforts in a number of disaster-stricken areas as well as to improve awareness and preparation in the face of disasters.
"The BNPB plans to draft a program to strengthen and improve disaster mitigation efforts," he added.
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