Government Launch Cash For Workers Labor Intensive Program After Mount Merapi Disaster

The Director General of Cipta Karya, Ministry of Public Works (PU) was launching a Labor intensive program known as Cash for Work (CPW) for post disaster management of Mt. Merapi eruption. The program was part of National Program of National Empowerment (PNPM) Mandiri Urban, aimed at improving the socio economy system, infra structure and general facilities.

Unlike the previous PNPM Urban Mandiri plan, in this PNPM Mt Merapi post disaster management plan workers were earning CWP of income for the works done, whereby they can use money to restart their business “after the emergency stage there were some sort of transition period where the people are motivated, especially the victims of disaster” Budiyuwono, Director General of cipta karya told the press in Jakarta on Thursday.

CPW activities were focused on efforts of emergency cleaning and repairs of damaged infra structure and public facilities, public utilities, installation and maintenance of water supply system, road cleaning, irrigation repairs and rehabilitation of agricultural areas.

Since the beginning of campaign on February 2011 to April 12, 2011 fund liquidation of people’s direct aid to the board of people’s independence (BKM) had reached Rp 4,7 billion (89,7%) of the total 5,24 billion. Meanwhile the number of workers employed numbered 42,937 people originating from 12 districts of sleman regency, 13 districts of Yogyakarta city and 14 districts of the magelang regency.

In the execution of this cash for work campaign, the people would be accompanied and guided by the management unit, to make clean up and repairs of public utilities. The next step was rehabilitation and reconstruction carried out by community based rehabilitation team (Rekompak).

The role Rekompak was to accompany the people to reconstruct damaged houses, numbering 2,613 homes in the Province of Yogyakarta and 128 homes in the entire central java province and to rehabilitate infra structure of the settlements in 88 villages/districts spread out in the regency of sleman, klaten, Boyolali and magelang.

So far rehabilitation of 55 houses had been accomplished, repairs of the rest had not begun as there were still some task due in mapping out rehabilitation areas to be done by the Provicial Government.

“if mapping out were completed, target was set to continue the entre prohect gradually by next year, as expected by the people” Budiyuwono concluded.