Jakarta, Oct 21 (Antara) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) should continue to push for his development program in the infrastructure sector in the eastern region of the country based on his Nawacita development priorities.
Infrastructure development in the eastern region, particularly in Papua and West Papua, is very crucial to increase connectivity and improve the welfare of the local people.
"We hope the efforts to develop the eastern region would not slow down. Please let Pak (Mr) Jokowi accelerate the development in the remaining two years of his term," Andi Rukmana Karumpa of Indonesian Chamber of Commerce (Kadin) said in a statement in Jakarta on Saturday.
Politics, which will begin to heat up in the face of the presidential race in 2019, should not hamper the infrastructure development program. After all, many countries have been on track in the development of their infrastructure.
"Even China, in several ways, has surpassed the US, but we are still embroiled in an endless political squabble," Karumpa pointed out. He expressed hope that all parties would maintain political stability in the last two years of Jokowi administration to ensure that the government is able to function more peacefully.
According to Karumpa, infrastructure development in eastern Indonesia has been on the right track and executed well. This pace should not slacken due to some budgetary problems and political squabbles.
After all, in Papua, for instance, about 75 percent of the Trans-Papua Highway for this year's plan has been completed. The Agency for National Road Development (BBPJN X) for Papua remarked that the section, which is included in this year's plan of the Trans-Papua Highway, is expected to be completed before the end of the year.
"Until 2016, sections of Trans Papua Highway, which were not yet finished, totaled 467 kilometers. About 113 kilometers is planned to be finished this year, of which 85 kilometers, or about 75 percent, have been completed," BBPJN X head, Osman Marbun, said in Jayapura on Friday (Oct 20).
The total funds earmarked for the construction of the highway for 2017 amounted to Rp1.2 trillion. "This included the northern lane, which is actually not part of the Trans-Papua," Marbun added.
Therefore, the Trans-Papua Highway, whose total length reaches 4,330 kilometers, will still be built in the coming two years. Next year, some 189 kilometers will be built, while the remaining 164 kilometers will be done in 2019.
Marbun claimed that the progress of Trans-Papua Highway development has created connectivity in some areas. Thus, the isolation of these areas have been opened, and the local community has been able to carry out more activities to develop.
"In general, all these connect access roads, such as those from Wamena (Jayawijaya) to Mulia (Puncak Jaya). There is also an access road to Tolikara, even though the road from Wamena to Tolikara already existed before, but this is one example," he said.
He noted that since the beginning, the Trans-Papua Road development was expected to penetrate areas that were previously isolated and can only be reached by air transportation mode.
In the meantime, regarding the acceleration of infrastructure development in his province, West Papua Governor Dominggus Mandacan said he had coordinated with the central government for the development of the province's border areas.
Some time ago, the governor had a meeting at the office of the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing. He used the meeting to convey a number of aspirations from the local people and a number of district heads.
"We support President's Nawacita development programs, particularly in carrying out development from villages to the cities. Therefore, the central government needs to coordinate to realize the Nawacita program," Mandacan explained.
There were a lot of proposals submitted to the Public Works and Public Housing Ministry, including the development of Windesi - Kaimana - Fakfak road sections as well as the construction of the Inari bridge of the Arguni Bay.
"This bridge is long enough, reaching some 600 meters. After the central government agreed to this proposal, we will coordinate quickly to do our respective responsibility, such as the role of the provincial government and the district government. The provincial government will develop roads toward the bridge and the district government should carry out land clearance," the governor elaborated.
Regarding infrastructure development, Kadin pointed out that after the infrastructure is built in the eastern region, it should be followed by the development of electricity in order to attract investors.
Hence, Andi Rukmana Karumpa, the Kadin chairman for Indonesia's eastern region, called for the current widespread expansion of infrastructure to be followed by massive development of power plants to attract investment.
"With the construction of infrastructure, there will be connectivity, but electric power must be generated quickly to support the electricity sector, not only in terms of consumption but also for industries," he explained.
He noted that in addition to Papua, Sulawesi's infrastructure had also shown rapid progress, as this area was able to grow at an average of 6.52 percent in the first semester of 2017, followed by Kalimantan, Bali, and Nusa Tenggara.
Kadin believes that the Jokowi-JK government has laid down the foundation for infrastructure development in the eastern region in the first year, followed by equal efforts for encouraging the realization of the sea toll development plan and the policy of single price for fuel oil.
"The policy of a single price for gasoline in Papua has boosted the people's efficiency and purchasing power as well as Papua's economic growth," he noted.
In the communications sector, the central government has also completed and inaugurated several airports in Papua and Sulawesi, accelerated the development of Trans-Papua highway, opened new paddy fields in Sulawesi and Kalimantan, stepped up the construction of the Sulawesi railway, as well as inaugurated several power plants. ***3*** (A014/INE)
EDITED BY INE/B003(T.A014/A/BESSR/Bustanuddin) 22-10-2017 00:21 |
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