by Abu Hanifah
PALU, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- The recently tsunami-swept Central Sulawesi province capital of Palu was still lingered with helplessness due to stalled economy following multiple cuts down on electricity and fuel supplies that paralyzed activities to run the economy in the city.
Such a situation was worsened by rampant looting of merchandises in stores conducted by people in the city, making all stores, gas stations and other economic elements stop their operation.
The looting of stores and mini markets in Palu and the other city affected by the earthquake, Donggala, has entered a concerning level as people also targeted stores selling secondary goods other than stores selling staple foods and daily necessities.
The Indonesian government has previously allowed tsunami survivors to take food and other basic supplies from grocery stores to temporarily support their lives after the tsunami while aids were being delivered to them.
The process to deliver aids for refugees and survivors of tsunami faced difficulties as the main land accesses to Palu and Donggala were clogged by stones rolling down from hills due to aftershocks that made it riskier for aids team to get supplies to Palu.
The province's only airport serving flights to Palu was not operating normally as part of its runway was cracked by the strong earthquake that made it only capable of serving propeller planes, instead of large cargo aids deliverer planes.
Responding to the developing situation, Indonesian President Joko Widodo issued an order to immediately recover the economy in Palu and fix the damaged infrastructure so as to secure distribution of logistics.
"I have ordered the police chief and military commander to deploy more personnel in guarding gas stations and business centers so as to make stores reopened, recover the economy in Palu," the president said in Jakarta on Tuesday.
He pointed out that accelerated works need to be carried out by related institutions to fix the airport, access roads blocked by mud and stones from the earthquake.
The government is taking measures to restore security for shop and store owners by arresting looters caught red-handed.
So far the authorities have arrested 45 looters, but the stores have yet to get reopened for the public in downtown Palu.
The Indonesian retailers association said that losses sustained by mini market chain stores operating in Palu and Donggala had reached 450 billion rupiah (about 2.9 million U.S. dollars) as of Monday.
The losses came up from the looted merchandises, store buildings, display set and warehouse operated by mini markets in the association, including Ramayana, Matahari, Hypermarket and Alfamidi.
The military would deploy three battalions to the two cities to ensure the security of stores and mini markets, so that people can buy food and groceries.
The government's quick response to restore the economy in Palu was gladly welcomed by a Palu resident Anwar Hamdi. He said that it would return order to the city, giving equal chances for all people to buy supplies for their families.
"Even I have one million rupiah (about 66 U.S. dollars) now in my hand I can not buy anything here. The government's responsive measure is good. I expect to buy foods and my household necessities with normal prices in the next few days. We already had enough with these uncertainties," Anwar told Xinhua here on Wednesday.
Entering the fourth day from Friday's tsunami, the Indonesian government has restored power supply in parts of the city Palu.
Supply of gasoline has also been gradually improving as the government has ordered state-run oil and gas firm Pertamina to mobilize its gasoline stocks stored in provinces around Central Sulawesi to the tsunami-affected Palu.
