Not A Citizen But A PUPR Checker On The Scale Of Damage To Homes For Earthquake Victims, Jokowi: There Is A 'Wasit'

Jokowi visited one of the locations where the residents were relocated by the earthquake on an area of 2.5 ha in Sirnaginalih Village, Cilaku District, Cianjur, Wednesday, December 7. (Twitter Jokowi)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) emphasized that the determination of the level of damage to earthquake victims' houses in Cianjur was determined by the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR).

This was conveyed by the President during a dialogue with earthquake victims in Cianjur, West Java, Thursday, December 8.

"The criteria are clear, what kind of heavy criteria, what are you doing, what kind of lightness, it's clearly in the Ministry of Public Works. So what determines is not father/mother, there is a 'wasit'. If all of you decide, everything will be very heavy, "said Jokowi, quoted from the YouTube account of the Presidential Secretariat, December 8.

The President again reviewed the location of the earthquake in Cianjur today, Thursday, December 8. to review the post and provide assistance and dialogue with earthquake victims.

Based on the information received, one of the locations visited by the President was the earthquake post of the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) in Cijedil Village, Cugenang District.

On that occasion the President conveyed to the public that if the level of damage to houses had been decided by the Ministry of PUPR, the public could not protest it.

"If you/you are a 'player' at the same time you become a 'wit', it's really good. Because you must know, the damaged houses are 53 thousand throughout Cianjur and you are all lucky the first time you get (assistance) because they have been verified," said the President.

The President said that the assistance provided Thursday today was addressed to 8,100 affected houses, out of a total of 53,408 damaged houses and buildings.

If this goes on, I will take care of the others. There are damaged health facilities, hospitals, health centers are damaged, many. 272 places of worship were damaged. There are 540 madrasas, elementary, junior high school, high school education facilities. We also have to take care of this. There are a lot. We take care of this a lot, not just damaged house matters," explained the President.

The President also said that he had decided to increase the amount of aid for houses that were heavily, moderately and lightly damaged.

Previously, the assistance prepared for houses was heavily damaged amounting to Rp. 50 million, for moderate damage was Rp. 25 million, and for lightly damaged Rp. 10 million.

However, after recalculating and asking the Minister of Finance for a budget, the President decided to increase assistance, for houses severely damaged to Rp60 million, houses moderately damaged Rp30 million, and lightly damaged Rp15 million.