Indonesia’s parliamentary panel approved a 69.38 billion rupiah (4.5%) cut to Basarnas, reducing its allocation from 1.55 trillion to 1.48 trillion rupiah to free funds for presidential priorities. The reduction comes as the country grapples with a recent surge of deadly floods and landslides, including 34 deaths in West Java and roughly 1,200 deaths in Sumatra last year. Basarnas’ head accepted the decision but urged more regional offices and operational upgrades to cope with frequent disasters.
Parliament Approves Budget Cut for Indonesia’s Rescue Agency as Disasters Mount
A drone view shows devastated area following deadly flash flood in Batang Toru, South Tapanuli, North Sumatra province, Indonesia, December 7, 2025. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan
JAKARTA, Jan 28 (Reuters) — Indonesia’s primary search-and-rescue agency, Basarnas, had its budget reduced by a parliamentary panel on Wednesday as the government reallocates spending toward presidential priorities, even as the country faces a recent surge in deadly natural disasters.
The Finance Ministry proposed the reduction to free up funds for initiatives championed by President Prabowo Subianto, including a flagship free-meals programme and increased defence spending. At a meeting on Wednesday, commission head Lasarus said the panel approved a cut of 69.38 billion rupiah — about 4.5% — trimming Basarnas’ allocation from 1.55 trillion rupiah to 1.48 trillion rupiah.
Indonesia sits on the "Pacific Ring of Fire," a zone of intense seismic activity across multiple tectonic plates, making the archipelago particularly vulnerable to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The country has also seen deadly floods and landslides in recent months.
In January, landslides in West Java killed at least 34 people and left 32 others missing as Basarnas rushed to continue rescue efforts. Late last year, cyclone-driven floods and landslides on Sumatra were blamed for about 1,200 deaths and displaced more than one million residents.
Basarnas head Mohammad Syafii, who attended the parliamentary session, said he accepted the panel’s decision but warned the agency still needs major upgrades to improve response times and operational capacity. He argued that, given the frequency of disasters nationwide, every administrative region should have a Basarnas presence. Indonesia has 514 administrative regions but Basarnas currently operates 38 offices — one per province.
"The work of Basarnas has been outstanding, but their capacity to handle the problems will be limited if the budget is not sufficient," committee deputy head Ridwan Bae said.
The parliamentary committee acknowledged the recent spate of disasters and the agency’s funding needs but proceeded with the reduction to accommodate the government’s re-prioritisation of spending.
Exchange Rate: $1 = 16,700.0000 rupiah.
(Reporting by Ananda Teresia; Editing by Gibran Peshimam and Raju Gopalakrishnan)
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