Business Returning to Normal, Slowly

KOMPAS/BAHANA PATRIA GUPTA

Students of state junior high school SMP Negeri 6 in Palu city, Central Java, arrange school benches after the earthquake and tsunami disaster, Monday (08/10/2018). On the first school day after the earthquake and tsunami, the activities being carried out were only in the form of student data collection and the cleaning-up.

SIGI, KOMPAS – Government offices in Palu city and Donggala and Sigi regencies in Central Sulawesi had yet to operate normally as of Monday (8/10/2018). In Sigi, the local regent’s office and agencies were deserted, with only military and police personnel guarding the buildings. Only the Sigi development planning agency’s office and the Sigi Biromaru district head’s office, which serve as disaster management centers, were visibly busy.

Central Sulawesi regional secretary M Hidayat said that he hoped all government offices would open and that all civil servants would work as usual. “There will be no sanction for those who have yet to return to work. However, we hope that activities at government offices will return to normal soon so that public services can be optimized,” he said.

Previously, Central Sulawesi Governor Longki Djanggola had instructed all civil servants to return to work on Monday. He urged local heads of administration and high-ranking officials to ensure their subordinates’ attendance and monitor their activities, which included making a list of civil servants and contract workers who died in the earthquake and tsunami.

Palu Mayor Hidayat said that civil servants skipping work without valid reasons would face disciplinary sanctions. On Monday, civil servants were urged to clean up their office buildings so that office work could be resumed on Tuesday (9/10). Solutions would be sought for heavily damaged offices, such as by erecting tents as temporary replacements.

Kompas found that the Donggala regent’s office had been reopened and some officials were busy with office duties, including cleaning up the regent’s damaged office. Broken glass was scattered around the entrance. “This morning, there was an assembly at the Donggala regent’s official residence, led by the regent, Kasman Lassa. Around 200 officials were present,” Donggala regional secretariat’s general affairs division head Damin said.

Students and teachers have returned to school but classes have yet to resume. Instead, they have been focused on making lists of all students and teachers, some of whom are still staying at shelters although they arrived at school wearing their uniforms. The students are generally happy that school has started again. “It’s better to go to school than not. Just eating and sleeping around bores me,” said Pratiwi, 14, a student at SMP 17 Palu state junior high school (ENG/REN/WAD/IRE/INA/NTA)