PRESIDENT WANTS RECONSTRUCTION OF QUAKE-AFFECTED HOUSES PRIORITIZED

Manokwari, Jan 22 (ANTARA) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has aksed the Manokwari district administration to prioritize the reconstruction of people's houses that were destroyed by a series of powerful earthquakes on January 4, 2009.
In his directives to Manokwari district administration officials at Manokwari district head's office on Thursday, the president said the reconstruction of the quake-affected houses should be on top of their list of priorities.
According to the head of state, emergency response management after the earthquake in Manokwari and Sorong districts, West Papua, was over and now it was time for rehabilitation and reconstruction process.
"During the reconstruction and rehabilitation phase, the reconstruction of destroyed houses should be on top of priority in order that the refugees can return the their respective houses as soon as possible," the president said.
Meanwhile, Manokwari district head Dominggus Mandacan explained to the president that an earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale on January 4 in the district had destroyed 5,574 houses, 83 government office buildings, 113 school buildings, 21 bridges, and 11 roads.
Dominggus said the earthquake also inflicted material loss of about Rp540 billion.
In his working visit to Manokwari, President Yudhoyono handed a financial assistance of Ro 4.7 billion to the district to rehabilitate 2,019 houses which were slightly damaged by the earthquake.
The president also asked the district and provincial administrations to take initiative to rehabilitate infrastructure facilities which were destroyed by the quake.
For the infrastructure facilities which were heavily destroyed, the president said central government would help the district and provincial administration in the rehabilitation process.
According to the head of state, the central government had allocated Rp510 billion in funds for rehabilitation and reconstruction phase after the earthquake in Manokwari and Sorong districts.
As of January 19, some 83 aftershocks in the northern part of Papua had been recorded.