JAKARTA (January 25, 2020)
- The Ministry of Social Affairs hopes that the Disaster Management Bill (RUU)
will soon be discussed with the Indonesian Parliament. Social Minister Juliari
P. Batubara stated that the Disaster Management Bill has now entered the
National Legislation Program (Prolegnas).
Juliari stated that the
important substance regulated in the bill is strengthening the disaster
management system.
"So, what needs to be
regulated is how the disaster management system is. Namely how to handle
before, during (disaster emergency) and post-disaster, between related parties
in a coordinated manner," said Juliari in Jakarta, Saturday (25/01/2020).
On a separate occasion, the
Director General of Social Security Protection Harry Hikmat stated that this
bill is more concerned with the system and process approach. Where in disaster
management will be regulated starting from prevention, mitigation, emergency
preparedness, emergency transitional response, to reconstruction and
rehabilitation stages, into a system that runs coordinated from the centre to
the regions.
"This is what will be
regulated in this bill. What is already in place now is Law No. 24/2007 on
Disaster Management. Law 24 regulates more on institutional
strengthening," said Harry.
The institution referred to
the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) which has authority from the
centre to the regions with the establishment of BNPBD in the regions.
"This has been running
relatively well. Naturally, the substance of Law No. 24 is more on how to regulate
institutions. That's why it was a necessity when Law No. 24 was formed,"
he said.
Previously, the issue of
disaster management was highlighted in the Commission VIII Work Meeting (Raker)
with Juliari and the Head of BNPB (15/01), following the floods that hit
Jabotabek, West Java and Banten, early January.
Several People's
Representative Council (DPR) members voiced a similar opinion, namely the need
to improve and strengthen coordination, comparable to the disaster-prone
conditions of the country.
The meeting was led by the
Chairperson of Commission VIII Yandri Susanto, attended by all Deputy Chairmen
of the Commission and most of its members. The meeting was dynamic with many
responses to questions, input, and appreciation of the disaster management
steps undertaken by the Ministry of Social Affairs.
The voices of
parliamentarians are mostly concerned with the broad spectrum and stakeholders
involved in disaster management. So that even though the Ministry of Social
Affairs and BNPB have worked optimally, in general, the impact of the disaster
is still quite extensive.
A more systematic and
coordinated mechanism is needed which involves all related parties.
Public Relations Bureau
Ministry of Social Affairs