Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Housing and Settlement Areas (PKP) has begun fast-tracking plans to restore public facilities and homes damaged by severe flooding in Aceh, aiming to ensure rehabilitation moves forward without delays once emergency response efforts conclude.
“This acceleration is not intended to bypass the emergency phase, but to run in parallel so there is no gap when rehabilitation and reconstruction begin,” Imran, the ministry’s Director General for Rural Housing, said in a statement on Saturday.
The ministry has moved quickly following the major floods that hit Aceh. Housing Minister Maruarar Sirait has held intensive coordination meetings with agencies including the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) since Tuesday, December 12.
Maruarar said rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts must begin during the emergency period to enable the fastest possible recovery for affected communities.
As an early step, he established a Post-Disaster Acceleration Task Force made up of three teams assigned to Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra.
Teams deployed to North Sumatra and West Sumatra left earlier for on-site inspections, while deployment to Aceh was delayed due to limited flights.
Imran, joined by Hari Rubiyanto, Director of Rural Housing Development Systems and Strategies, and Salamuddin Daeng, Special Staff to the Housing Minister, immediately held a strategic meeting with the Aceh provincial government.
The meeting was attended by Marlina Muzakir, the wife of the Aceh governor, and T. Aznal Zahri, head of the provincial Office of Public Housing and Settlement Areas.
PKP representatives apologized for the unannounced arrival, citing the urgency of the minister’s directive to speed up recovery preparations.
“We apologize for the sudden visit, and we are here under the Housing Minister’s special instruction to ensure that acceleration efforts are carried out in a measured and prompt manner,” Imran said.
