Prabowo Orders Large Aircraft to Boost Disaster Mitigation - Tempo.co English
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Prabowo Subianto said the Indonesian government is preparing significant investment to strengthen disaster mitigation capabilities, including expanding the helicopter fleet and ordering large aircraft for aerial firefighting operations.
In the “Presiden Menjawab” (The President Answers) program, as cited in a statement by the Indonesian Government Communication Agency (Bakom) in Jakarta on Wednesday, Prabowo stated that agencies tasked with handling disasters need to be strengthened. "I am determined to enhance our mitigation capabilities. We must strengthen the agencies that deal with disasters," he said, as quoted by ANTARA.
Prabowo said that the government is expanding its helicopter fleet to improve its ability to handle forest fires. The government is preparing to invest in the necessary equipment for faster disaster response.
Prabowo stated that Indonesia needs hundreds of helicopters to support various disaster response operations, including aerial firefighting. "I have ordered several large aircraft for water bombing," he said.
Prabowo also reminded his staff to safeguard the management of state resources and avoid corruption, as such actions could weaken the institution's ability to handle crises. "If we cannot safeguard our resources, we will eventually find ourselves in a weakened position when facing situations where we need them," he said.
The President reminded everyone that Indonesia is located in the Ring of Fire, making it highly vulnerable to various geological disasters.
On the other hand, according to Prabowo, Indonesia possesses abundant natural resources, including various minerals that can be utilized to support development. "So, this is a situation where the Almighty has perhaps presented us with trials, but has also bestowed upon us advantages. It simply comes down to how we manage our country. That is why we must have a nation—and institutions—that are efficient," he said.
Prabowo said budget efficiency is one of the government's measures to ensure state resources can be redirected toward more productive programs.
He cited the elimination of certain activity budgets within the ministry as an example. "When I took over the administration, I examined the budget. Every ministry had a budget for anniversary celebrations—and it was no small amount. I eliminated it. There is no need for anniversary celebrations," he said.
Prabowo stated that budget savings in the first year of his administration reached more than Rp300 trillion. According to him, the funds resulting from that efficiency were subsequently reallocated to support various productive government programs.
