"Do not allow one issue to prevent creditors from disbursing funds for the rehabilitation efforts post the 2018 disaster in Palu City, Donggala, and Sigi," DPD RI Committee II Chair Lukky Semen stated at the Central Sulawesi Governor's Office in Palu on Friday.
The committee chair warned the regional authority that creditors -- the World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB), and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) -- would be reluctant to disburse the rehabilitation fund if issues on the disaster rehabilitation project remained unresolved.
"Several issues, such as the provision of land for construction of permanent dwellings that are currently stalled, must be resolved immediately, as permanent dwellings for earthquake victims are funded by the loan," Semen emphasized.
The DPD member expressed concern that unresolved issues on the rehabilitation project would lead to creditors deciding to halt the disbursement of rehabilitation fund, thereby further stalling the rehabilitation effort.
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Meanwhile, the rehabilitation task force head, represented by 132 Tadulako Provincial Military Command Territorial Head Colonel Inf. H Rahman T Leho, explained that the issue of land acquisition for permanent dwellings remained unresolved for three years after the earthquake and tsunami disaster.
"Land acquisition for the Tondo 2 permanent dwelling complex in Palu is not yet completed, and procurement of eight hectares of land in Duyu Sub-district is stalled, as the acquired land is located in Sigi District," the task force head reported.
Colonel Inf. Leho also lamented that those who received the fund, intended for use in house rehabilitation, often misappropriated it for other purposes, such as buying basic foods, and did not get their dwellings repaired.
"Despite receiving house repair stimulus, some house repairs remained unfinished, as the fund has been used for other purposes instead of being utilized to repair the house," the task force head pointed out.
Related news: Death toll of C Sulawesi earthquake reaches 2,102
Translator: M Arshandi, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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