Jakarta — The government is further strengthening its strategic infrastructure recovery efforts in Sumatra following the devastating floods and landslides that struck Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra late last year. This intensive effort is a national priority to ensure connectivity, public services, and socio-economic activities can resume normal and sustainable operations.
The government, through various ministries and agencies, continues to coordinate to accelerate the rehabilitation and reconstruction of damaged infrastructure, including reopening road access and repairing damaged bridges. In several strategic locations, recovery progress is showing positive results, such as the restoration of electricity networks, fuel services, and the gradual return of inter-district connectivity.
Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture (PMK), Pratikno, emphasized that the government is not only addressing the emergency impacts but also preparing for the rapid reconstruction phase.
“President Prabowo Subianto has ordered preparations for the rehabilitation and reconstruction process (in disaster-affected locations). This rehabilitation and reconstruction must also be carried out quickly,” Pratikno said.
Pratikno also highlighted the crucial role of cross-ministerial coordination in ensuring that all major access points, from national roads to electricity and telecommunications networks, are quickly restored. The government has also deployed various heavy equipment and resources to open access to routes previously cut off by floods and landslides.
Meanwhile, Abdul Muhari, Head of the BNPB Disaster Data and Communication Center, stated that the government has begun the recovery phase, shifting to infrastructure managed by local governments, including repairing provincial, district/city, and village road networks.
“Later, we will be able to repair accessibility, including inter-provincial connections, connecting districts/cities within a province, and even sub-district and village roads, within the timeframe set by the Ministry of Public Works,” said Abdul.
Abdul also emphasized the need for river normalization and reducing the risk of subsequent disasters, given the potential for high rainfall in several affected areas. Cooperation between all parties, including regional and central governments, is key to accelerating recovery and ensuring public safety.
Regarding funding, Minister of Finance Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa confirmed that the State budget has been allocated to support this extensive recovery process. According to him, the government has allocated significant funds through the 2026 State Budget to support post-disaster rehabilitation and reconstruction in the three affected provinces.
“The 2026 State Budget for rebuilding affected areas is estimated at IDR 51 trillion, so we have allocated that from the budget allocation,” said Purbaya.
The government also ensures that the availability of these funds will not disrupt other social programs, while still awaiting technical input from the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) and the recovery task force. With a sufficient budget and a coordinated absorption mechanism, the recovery process is expected to be effective and timely.
Along with infrastructure repairs, the government is encouraging the restoration of public services and economic activity in post-disaster areas. Several damaged schools are prepared to reopen at the beginning of this semester, demonstrating the momentum of community recovery following this humanitarian disaster.
This swift and coordinated government action demonstrates a strong commitment not only to restoring the physical condition of the affected areas but also to strengthening community resilience to potential future disasters. The government is confident that through cross-sector collaboration, Sumatra’s recovery process will run more smoothly, making the region more resilient and ready to face future development challenges.***
