Ministers lead 81st RI Independence Day ceremony in NTT

Several ministers and deputy ministers led the 81st anniversary ceremony for Indonesia's independence in Nusa Tenggara Timur on Monday, while also monitoring efforts to deal with the impact of an earthquake in the region. State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi said the officials in NTT included coordinating minister for human development and culture Pratikno, the home affairs minister, the public works minister, the deputy health minister, and the deputy social affairs minister. According to Pratikno, the government divided responsibilities across the affected areas so that critical issues in each region could be supervised directly. Aid coordination was strengthened through a national command post to consolidate logistics from Jakarta via Halim Perdanakusuma Airport, as well as operational posts in Labuan Bajo and Maumere. The government said the priorities during the emergency response period are public safety, meeting basic needs, and speeding repairs to vital infrastructure.