Jokowi Asks His Subordinates To Accelerate Building Rehabilitation Due To Disasters

President Joko Widodo (Photo: Cabinet Secretariat of the Republic of Indonesia)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo reminded his staff, both ministries or agencies and local governments to improve emergency response management.

He said this when he chaired the opening of the 2021 National Disaster Management Coordination Meeting (Rakornas PB) at the State Palace, Central Jakarta.

In a post-disaster situation, the government must carry out the rehabilitation and reconstruction of buildings affected by the disaster quickly. Because, said Jokowi, this is what the public is eagerly awaiting.

"The speed is seen by the people, the speed seen by the community regarding rehabilitation and reconstruction. Do not wait for more than one year, what we have said has not appeared, what we have promised," said Jokowi on the YouTube BNPB Indonesia broadcast, Wednesday, March 3.

Furthermore, the disaster early warning system must also function properly. Because, according to Jokowi, speed is the key to saving and reducing casualties.

"All contingency plans and operational plans during the emergency response must be implemented quickly and once again speed is the key to saving and reducing casualties", Jokowi said.

Separately, the Head of the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) Doni Monardo said that Indonesia experienced economic losses of IDR 22.8 trillion each year due to disasters.

"The Minister of Finance said that every year we experience economic losses due to disasters an average of 22.8 trillion rupiah per year, a very large number", said Doni.

Not to mention that Indonesia must face casualties who died as a result of the disaster. BNPB recorded the death toll due to disasters in the last 10 years, an average of 1.183 people died as a result of the disaster.

Doni said that the World Bank has labeled Indonesia as one of the 35 countries with the highest disaster risk level in the world.

In the past year, from early February 2020 to February 2021, BNPB recorded 3.253 disasters that occurred in Indonesia.

"This means that every day there are 9 disasters in Indonesia. Whether it is earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, forest and land fires, floods, flash floods, landslides, and tornadoes, every disaster is always followed by loss of property and casualties", Doni said.

Today's National Coordination Meeting of PB was also held virtually and attended by ministers, institutional leaders, governors, regents, mayors, representatives of the business world, experts, academics, community organizations, disaster volunteers, and micro-based Community Activity Restrictions (PPKM) task forces.