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| Sunday, 26 June 2005 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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Mega reconstruction projects in Indonesia BANDA ACEH, Indonesia, June 25 (AFP) Indonesia, hardest hit by the deadly tsunamis in December, prepared Saturday to commemorate six months since the disaster and announce 172 reconstruction projects worth 585 million dollars. Officials gathered in Aceh province, where more than 131,000 people were killed by the giant waves, to remember the dead and thank foreign governments, aid agencies and individual volunteers for their assistance. "The government would like to extend its gratitude to all parties for their help during the emergency period," said Sudirman Said, a spokesman for the agency in charge of rebuilding the province New projects to build houses, schools, health clinics and other infrastructure will be financed and carried out by 70 local and international non-governmental organisations. "Some of the projects are actually already underway," Said told AFP by telephone. The reconstruction agency will also announce that the government budget of 8.4 trillion rupiah (875 million dollars) for this year's reconstruction period will be ready for disbursement in July, he said, meaning that large-scale government projects could soon be carried out. Half of the money comes from foreign loans and grants. Reconstruction in Aceh had earlier been criticized as too slow but almost two months after the reconstruction agency started its work, the region seems to be making progress. Aceh was the area worst hit by the December 26 tsunami which was triggered by an earthquake measuring 9.3 on the Richter Scale. More than 131,000 people were killed in the province while over 450,000 lost their homes. |
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