Jakarta (ANTARA) - House of Representatives Commission V member Zigo Rolanda has urged the Ministry of Housing and Settlement Areas (PKP) to act swiftly in repairing homes damaged by flooding in the provinces of Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra.

He stressed that restoring housing has become the most pressing need after access to clean water in the affected areas.

Zigo said several provinces have been hit by disasters in recent weeks, including his own constituency.

He had just visited flood-affected areas in West Sumatra and found that residents' primary need, apart from clean water, is the restoration of their homes.

"In the past few weeks, many provinces have been affected by disasters, including my constituency. I was in Padang this morning to inspect flooded areas in West Sumatra. The main need for residents, aside from clean water, is housing," he said in a statement here on Friday.

He also presented preliminary data from local governments on the extent of housing damage in the three provinces.

"There are approximately 428 houses swept away, 1,301 heavily damaged, 1,429 moderately damaged, and 1,302 lightly damaged. A total of around 37,406 households have been affected," he said.

According to Zigo, accelerating the restoration of damaged homes aligns with Law Number 24 of 2007 on Disaster Management. He called on the PKP Ministry to prepare measurable steps and speed up the recovery process.

He also encouraged the ministry to create a special mechanism despite the 2026 State Budget having been set. Zigo proposed that homes previously built under the Self-Help Housing Stimulus Assistance (BSPS) program be re-eligible for support if they are now severely affected.

He also reminded the government of its target to build three million homes under President Prabowo Subianto's administration. He warned that housing construction in disaster-prone areas could jeopardize that goal.

"Field conditions show that many housing developments are located in disaster-prone areas. This needs evaluation so the targets we set are not in vain," he said.

Responding to the call, PKP Minister Maruarar Sirait expressed the ministry's readiness to review BSPS regulations for disaster victims. He said the current situation requires special adjustments.

"In a force majeure situation like this, I believe a special policy is needed. For those affected by disasters, I will change the rule. They can receive BSPS again even if it has not been ten years," Maruarar said.

He added that humanitarian considerations will guide the ministry's policies, especially for communities facing widespread destruction due to major disasters.

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Translator: Benardy Ferdiansyah/Muhammad Rizki, Primayanti
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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