Reconstruction Funds for Earthquake Victims’ Homes Remain Unclear
Wednesday, 31 January, 2007 | 12:42 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Bantul: The disbursement of the second phase of reconstruction funds for victims of the Yogyakarta earthquake remains unclear.

It was previously planned that the funds would be disbursed in early January 2007, and then delayed to mid January.

However, up until today, there is not clarification as regards when the aid will be disbursed.

Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X, Governor of the Special Territory of Yogyakarta, yesterday (01/30) held a meeting with regencies whose regions were hit by the earthquake.

The meeting discussed matters regarding when the central government would disburse the relief aid.

The meeting decided that Regional Secretary of Special Territory of Yogyakarta Province and Head of Housing and Regional Infrastructure Agency of Yogyakarta leave for Jakarta to directly ask questions about the relief aid.

“In addition to discussing the certainty of the second-phase relief aid, we also discussed the final validation data of the amount of victims that have the right to receive assistance,” Gendut Sudharto, Regional Secretary of Bantul Regency, told Tempo yesterday (01/30).

In the meeting, he said, the Governor also asked that regents and mayors report the amounts of earthquake victims that have been validated.

In Bantul Regeny, Gendut went on, the total of collapsed and heavily ruined houses amounted to 119,000.

The uncertain second-phase fund disbursement has resulted in the construction of housing for earthquake victims being delayed at Terong Village, Dlingo Subdistrict, Batul Regency.

Syaiful Amin