Kemenag Proposes Additional Rp702 Billion for Post-disaster Reconstruction

Minister of Religion Nasaruddin Umar. ANTARA/HO-Kemenag

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Religion (Kemenag) has proposed an additional budget of Rp. 702.98 billion for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of religious service and education facilities that were affected by natural disasters in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra.

"Natural disasters that have occurred in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra have had a significant impact on the continuity of religious life and religious education services," said Minister of Religion Nasaruddin Umar during a working meeting with Commission VIII of the DPR in Jakarta, Wednesday, January 28, reported by ANTARA.

The Minister of Religion explained that based on the action plan of the religious social task force of the Ministry of Religion, a total of 3,207 religious and educational service units were affected.

The number includes 562 madrasahs, 1,033 pesantren, 17 Islamic religious universities (PTKI), 1,593 cross-religious houses of worship, and other religious service units in the affected areas.

According to the Minister of Religion, the impact of the damage has a direct implication on the disruption of the learning process, religious services, and social religious activities of the community.

The Ministry of Religion has disbursed initial post-disaster assistance of IDR 75.82 billion. The assistance is sourced from the state budget of IDR 66.47 billion and the participation of the Kemenag Peduli program of IDR 9.35 billion which is used for emergency handling and initial recovery.

"However, the initial assistance is still limited and has not fully reached the needs of rehabilitation and reconstruction of damaged facilities," he said.

Therefore, the Ministry of Religion proposes the need for continued post-disaster handling which is planned through the presidential directive scheme in the 2026 fiscal year.

The proposal includes the rehabilitation and reconstruction of madrasahs, pesantren, PTKI, and houses of worship across religions. In addition, it also includes the rehabilitation of the Ministry of Religion's office, post-disaster community assistance, provision of Al Quran mushaf, and assistance for religious community organizations.

The Minister of Religion added that the proposal through the presidential directive was carried out as a mitigation step for the limited fiscal space of the Ministry of Religion. This post-disaster handling is considered strategic and urgent to ensure the sustainability of basic religious services and religious education.

"This handling is seen as strategic and urgent, to ensure the continuity of basic religious services and religious education as well as a manifestation of state justice in the recovery of social life of the community after the disaster," he said.