The Governor of North Sumatra, Bobby Nasution, publicly expressed his disappointment Monday with the amount of disaster relief funds allocated to his province, walking out of a virtual meeting with coordinating ministers in protest.
Nasution voiced his concerns over the Rp 2.1 trillion (approximately $130 million USD) earmarked for North Sumatra as part of a larger Rp 56 trillion (approximately $3.5 billion USD) aid package for the provinces of North Sumatra, West Sumatra, and Aceh, according to reports.
A video circulating on social media showed Nasution, accompanied by Head of the North Sumatra Development Planning Agency (Bappelitbang) Dikky Anugerah, abruptly ending the virtual meeting. “Even the minister is protesting, who is managing this? Let’s secure out of here, it’s unclear,” Nasution said in the video.
Nasution later clarified that the funding figures were based on the post-disaster rehabilitation and reconstruction plan (R3P), a document compiled in collaboration with various government ministries and agencies and verified by the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) and the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas).
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“The data for disaster relief funding is taken from the R3P of each region,” Nasution explained while inspecting the construction of a community school in Padangsidimpuan. “This R3P data has been confirmed, not just by the regional government, but with ministries and agencies, and verified by BPS and submitted to Bappenas.”
Nasution stated that North Sumatra suffered the second-highest number of victims and significant property damage after Aceh, yet received the smallest portion of the allocated funds. He questioned the rationale behind the distribution, noting that his province’s estimated needs exceed Rp 30 trillion (approximately $1.86 billion USD).
“The central government has allocated more than Rp 56 trillion to aid regions affected by disasters, and that Rp 56 trillion is divided among three provinces. What we objected to was the allocation to North Sumatra province, which is only Rp 2.1 trillion out of Rp 56 trillion, while our needs are more than Rp 30 trillion,” he said.
“We are a little disappointed and object to that figure, because when it comes to disasters, the benchmark is the impact, the number of victims. After Aceh, we have the most victims, and we are similarly among the highest in terms of the number of homes lost,” Nasution continued. “But our budget is the smallest. That’s what we’re questioning – what’s the basis for this? Why, from Rp 56 trillion, is the distribution to the regions like this? Looking at the number of victims, it shouldn’t be like this. Looking at the damage, it shouldn’t be like this.”
Nasution indicated that a revision of the budget allocation had been discussed. “But hopefully, it will be revised soon,” he added.
(niz/mjy)
