REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, MATARAM -- Vice President Jusuf Kalla has predicted the construction of earthquake victims' houses in the islands of Lombok and Sumbawa will be completed in March 2019. Kalla stated that at the office of the West Nusa Tenggara governor after visiting several locations for the construction of the houses on Sunday.

"We will try until March 2019. This means that it will take eight months," he said.

But since the earthquake broke out two months ago, there are only six months left to construct the houses, he said. The government will encourage all sides particularly state-and regional government-owned companies to get involved in the construction of the houses, he said.

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"We discussed nothing other than acceleration (of the houses' construction). Hence, all sides including concrete pillar producers must speed up their production," he said.

Likewise, the affected people will hopefully help the government accelerate the construction of the houses, he said.

"The government will only provide funds and the people could build them together," he said.

Based on preliminary data until October 2018, 204,449 families have lost houses in the earthquake. Of the total, 83,808 houses were seriously damaged, 44.566 houses were moderately damaged and 76,075 houses were lightly damaged.

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