Lombok Quake Not National Disaster: Govt
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Kamis, 1 Januari 1970 07:00 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The government has announced that the deadly Lombok quake is not a national disaster. The West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) administration will continue handling the aftermath of the disaster but President Jokowi will issue a regulation on the support of the central government.
“A presidential regulation will be prepared for that. Although the regional government is the one who deals with it, the central government will render its utmost support,” said NTB Governor Tuan Guru Bajang (TGB) Muhammad Zainul Majdi after meeting with President Jokowi at the Presidential Office on Friday, August 10, 2018.
Finance Minister Sri Mulyani said the government had earmarked Rp37-38 billion, as requested by the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), to be used as an emergency fund.
Read: Soil Liquefaction Poses Threat to Quake-torn Lombok Island
Most of the fund will be spent on foods, drinks, and medicines. “This is the initial emergency [fund]. So we will wait for the BNPB,” she said.
BNPB first secretary Dody Ruswandi, meanwhile, said the agency had an on-call fund of Rp700 billion. Half of the money has been spent.
Dody added the agency still had a reserved fund at the Finance Ministry totaling Rp4 trillion, which can be used anytime. “It’s available anytime, the finance minister is ready,” he said.
Public Works and Public Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono said the government also gave relief funds in varied amounts to locals whose homes were affected by the quake.
President Jokowi in the meeting ordered that the evacuation of victims should remain a priority.
According to BNPB, the death toll from the Lombok quake has reached 321 and 270,168 people have been displaced in thousands of spots.
AHMAD FAIZ IBNU SANI