Indonesian Govt Allocates Rp15 trillion for Disaster Anticipation, Mitigation

Jakarta, MINA – in the 2019 state budget, Indonesian government to allocate Rp.15 trillion for disaster anticipation and mitigation. Last year, the government spent more than Rp.7 trillion on disaster mitigation. Republika reported.

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati explained the budget fund did not merely go to the BNPB (National Disaster Mitigation Board). “We increased the expenditure in the form of on-call fund,” she stated after a plenary cabinet meeting themed “Programs and Activities in 2019” at the State Palace, Monday.

She noted that the on-call fund will be made available if the BNPB deems it necessary to take emergency action. The government also plans to form pooling fund, through which it pools fund from each region for disaster mitigation efforts, she explained.

The 2019 State Budget will focus on maintaining the momentum of prosperity of the people. An increase in the allocation of cash assistance distributed through the Family Hope Program should be felt by the people soon.

The minister revealed that the government has increased the budget to improve human resources in the fields of education and health. The education budget rose from Rp440 trillion to Rp495 trillion. The health budget also increased from Rp110 trillion to Rp125 trillion.

The budget for infrastructure rose from Rp405 trillion to Rp410 trillion. In addition, the government was concerned about the global economic uncertainty. (T/P2)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)