"Everyone is working, including the head of the BNPB (National Disaster Mitigation Agency) and officials at the Social Affairs Ministry and Health Ministry. Note that the Home Affairs Ministry's Regional Administration Directorate General has dispatched a team there," Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian stated.
In his office's statement cited here on Tuesday, the minister noted that assistance distribution has been going well.
Karnavian then explained that the central government had to move swiftly to aid the eruption-hit people due to the low fiscal capacity of the governments of affected regions.
"We are aware that their fiscal capacity, especially in terms of the availability of unexpected spending funds that can be mobilized in the event of disaster, is weak," he pointed out.
Furthermore, he stated that the central government had set up refugee shelters and delivered food and medicines to the eruption victims.
"I believe that the food and medicines we have provided will suffice," he said.
The minister also drew attention to the Social Affairs Ministry, saying that it would help build new settlements for the refugees, continue to send logistics and provide aid specified for the families of deceased victims.
Earlier, Minister Karnavian participated in a coordination meeting on handling the eruptions at the headquarters of the BNPB in Jakarta on Tuesday morning.
Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka presided over the meeting, which brought together BNPB Head Suharyanto and several ministers, including Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Pratikno, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin, and Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati.
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Translator: Narda M, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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