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Jakarta Post

Central Sulawesi recovery will take 3 years, official says

The governor is in charge of post-disaster rehabilitation.

Ruslan Sangadji (The Jakarta Post)
Palu
Fri, February 1, 2019

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 Central Sulawesi recovery will take 3 years, official says Workers construct temporary post-disaster housing in Petobo, South Palu, on Monday for survivors of the earthquake that struck Central Sulawesi in September. (The Jakarta Post/Ruslan Sangadji)

T

he Central Sulawesi administration will need at least three years to rehabilitate areas most affected by recent natural disasters, including Palu, Sigi, Donggala and Parigi Moutong, an official has said.

“We may need two years to complete the permanent housing [for survivors], but the whole region may need at least three years to recover its economy,” Central Sulawesi Main Planning Team head Suprayoga Hadi told The Jakarta Post recently. 

Suprayoga, who is also a planner with the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas), said the government had reactivated a trust fund for post-disaster rehabilitation, which was first established in 2010 and is currently managed by Bappenas. The trust fund currently manages around US$28 million and the government is seeking additional funds.

Suprayoga said the governor was in charge of post-disaster rehabilitation because the Central Sulawesi earthquake and subsequent tsunami and soil liquefaction were regional disasters and never declared a national disaster. 

According to Suprayoga, the Central Sulawesi administration must establish an ad-hoc team comprising representatives of both local administrations and the government to bridge relevant agencies and bodies. The team can be attached to the governor’s office or the Regional Development Planning Agency (Bappeda), he went on to say, adding that he suggested that the governor appoint officials for the team’s board.

“The governor’s role is imperative,” he said.

Central Sulawesi Governor Longki Djanggola said the administration needed Rp 40 trillion ($2.85 billion) to recover Palu, Donggala, Sigi and Parigi Moutong. 

“[The amount] excludes stimulant funds amounting to Rp 2.6 trillion, which I proposed,” he said, adding that he had proposed the budget to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) in January.

According to the governor, the funds will be used to mainly build temporary housing, assist survivors and rebuild infrastructure.

Meanwhile, the Central Sulawesi Public Information Commission (KIP Central Sulawesi) called on the administration to open access to information for the public, including information regarding rehabilitation programs and finances.

“The public needs to be able to access information regarding the distribution of assistance and budgets,” said KIP Central Sulawesi commissioner Isman Manes. 

A powerful earthquake followed by a tsunami and soil liquefaction rattled the province in September last year, killing 4,340 people and displacing over 170,000 others.  

In October, the BNPB estimated that the disaster resulted in at least Rp 13.82 trillion in economic losses, comprising Rp 1.99 trillion in lost income and Rp 11.83 trillion in physical damages.                       

At least 100,000 houses, 327 places of worship, 265 schools, 78 offices and 362 shops were damaged in the earthquake. (swd)

 

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