Sebuah papan peringatan terpasang di bibir tanggul di titik 73 B desa Kedungbendo, Porong, Sidoarjo, 3 Desember 2014. Badan Penanggulangan Lumpur Sidoarjo (BPLS) kembali melakukan pengerukan untuk mengalirkan lumpur dan memperkuat tanggul akibat naiknya volume lumpur Lapindo. TEMPO/Fully Syafi
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The government intends to buy some of PT Minarak Lapindo Jaya’s assets to compensate for Lapindo mud victims in Sidoarjo, East Java.
Public Works Minister Basuki Hadimuljono said the purchase of Lapindo’s assets is proof of government’s action in helping the victims. “If the country remains silent, it could be considered as discrimination,” said Basuki on Tuesday.
The government will buy Lapindo’s assets in the affected areas. If the money to buy the assets has been disbursed, Lapindo must immediately pay the compensation for mud victims.
Basuki said if the mud overflows in the affected areas, the compensation is the government’s responsibility. “It’s a fair policy,” said Basuki.
Lapindo has been obligated to pay compensation of Rp781 billion to the mud victims and Rp500 billion to businessmen who also became victims. Sidoarjo Mud Mitigation Agency spokesperson Dwinanto Hesti Prasetyo said the government will pay off the losses suffered by Lapindo mud victims in the affected areas as late as 2015.
