VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Jakarta - Head of the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) Doni Monardo said that he had proposed to President Joko Widodo to issue a Presidential Instruction (Inpres) so that each region made contingency plans.

Speaking at a joint press conference with a number of Advanced Indonesian Cabinet Ministers at the Presidential Office, Jakarta, Friday (01/01/2020) afternoon, Doni Monardo said that the Inpres was intended to remind all Regional Heads to prepare mitigation measures against all potential disasters that would occur.

Doni said that with the Inpres, all Regional Heads were also expected to immediately determine the status of the disaster that occurred so as to reduce the number of victims who fell due to the disaster. In addition, by determining the status of disasters more quickly, the central government can also immediately intervene to help disaster management.

"We also propose to the President, related to the Presidential Instruction on Regional obligations to draw up a 'contingency plan'. Because almost every year we experience routine problems. During the dry season we experience forest and land fires, in the rainy season we experience flash floods and landslides and in this event it almost cause loss of life and property and with this Inpres it is hoped that all central and regional components including the Indonesian Military (TNI) / Indonesian Police ( Polri) can remind regional heads to take precautionary measures by making mitigation and vigilance, then also in the event of a dynamic loss of property the community is expected to determine the status of regional officials. Because with this status, the central government can provide budget assistance including BNPB to provide budget support to regions that have set an emergency status," said Doni.

Furthermore, the Head of BNPB Doni Monardo also hopes that all Regional Heads in Indonesia can increase awareness of disasters by continuing to monitor weather developments that can be accessed through the Meteorology Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG). Doni Monardo also appealed to the Regional Head to forward the information held to the public so that disaster awareness can be improved.

Present at the press conference were the Minister of Public Works and Public Housing Basuki Hadimuljono, Social Minister Juliari Batubara, Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian and Minister of Health Terawan Agus Putranto. (VOI / Ndy / AHM)