August 20, 2026 | 07:17 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A spokesperson of the ruling party Gerindra, Bahtra Banong, stated that he was unaware the government had launched a donation drive for earthquake disaster relief in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).
However, the Deputy Speaker of House Commission II, which oversees domestic governance, emphasized that the government already has dedicated funds earmarked for disaster management. "I haven't looked into the details regarding the donation drive, but what is certain is that the government has already sent aid," he said at the Parliament Complex in Senayan, Jakarta, on Wednesday, August 19, 2026.
According to Bahtra, disaster response funding should have already been allocated through the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB).
He noted that several House leaders, alongside Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa, were already on the ground at the disaster site to assess needs, including whether additional emergency funds were necessary. "Disaster budgets are already in place. So, when unexpected events happen that exceed our forecasts, the central government will certainly prepare the measures," he said.
Earlier, a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Flores Island, East Nusa Tenggara, on Saturday, August 15, 2026. According to BNPB data as of Wednesday, August 19, 2026, the quake left 71 people dead and 331 others injured.
The government's decision to open a donation drive sparked online debate after donation QR codes were displayed across several performance stages during Independence Day celebrations on Monday, August 17, 2026.
Among the entities raising funds was the Daya Anagata Nusantara Investment Management Agency (Danantara). The state asset management agency successfully gathered Rp2.16 billion through the initiative.
Rohan Hafas, Managing Director of Stakeholder Management at Danantara Indonesia, explained that the government-backed drive was intended to encourage public solidarity for the earthquake victims in NTT.
"Public participation at the 'Folk Arts in the Spirit of Independence' event can be channeled into concrete aid for our brothers and sisters affected by the disaster in NTT," Rohan stated on Tuesday, August 18, 2026.
Read: Indonesia's OJK Prepares Rules for Strategic Mineral Exchange Ahead of 2027 Launch
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