Prabowo Permits Use of Wood Logs Remaining After Sumatra Floods

6 hours ago 3

January 26, 2026 | 04:48 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Prabowo Subianto allows the public to use the remaining wood logs from the Sumatra flood, with the condition that the wood is not used for commercial purposes.

The Minister of Home Affairs, Muhammad Tito Karnavian, conveyed this policy at the coordination meeting of the Task Force for Accelerating Rehabilitation and Reconstruction after the Sumatra disaster held today.

"During the meeting with the President, including in Hambalang, we were told to use it for the community or the government's disaster management. Now, many have already done so," said Tito at the Ministry of Home Affairs office in Central Jakarta on Monday, January 26, 2026.

According to Tito, people have been using the wood carried by the flood for various activities. Some have cut wood logs into boards to repair houses and bridges. However, he mentioned that the issue lies with the small wood logs that cannot be used to make boards.

The former Chief of the Indonesian National Police then stated that Regional heads have proposed that the wood be used for other purposes. Tito mentioned that regional government-owned enterprises (BUMD) and local industries are interested in utilizing the wood logs.

"There are suggestions from several regional heads, 'Sir, what if it is taken and worked on by BUMD, sold to third parties, for example, steam power plants?'" said Tito.

Tito stated that North Sumatra has a steam power plant that requires wood. Furthermore, he mentioned that the wood logs could be used or sold to local industries for making bricks, for example.

"They keep asking, can we take the wood? Because it's been difficult to find wood so far," Tito said. According to him, the small wood logs have economic value for local industries.

Read: BNPB: Death Toll from Sumatra Disaster Reaches 1,201

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