DEVELOPMENT FOCUSED ON BORDER AREAS TO PROMOTE EQUITABLE GROWTH

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 20 (Antara) - Without a more focused development program, the country's marginalized regions, border areas, and outlying regions will face difficulties in the form of various global challenges and stiff competition.          The central government and regional administrations had, so far, not given serious attention to the development of marginalized areas, border zones, and outlying regions. Hence, as a result, these areas are left powerless in the face of myriad challenges and global competition. The development policy has, so far, accorded priority to Java Island and was oriented merely to the urban people.          According to researcher Pande Made Kutanegara of the Population and Policy Study Center of Yograkarta's Gajah Mada University, there was negligence on the government's part, as its development programs were only oriented towards urban areas.          These regions need serious attention in terms of infrastructure facilities, human resources, and accessibility to various information both from the central government and the world.          Moreover, the local people in these regions harbor high spirits. Their regions have relatively good natural resources and economic potentials.          "Local people in the region still face difficulties in obtaining the latest information on the country, let alone about the world," Kutanegara remarked on Thursday (Jan 12).

INDONESIA TO ADVANCE DEVELOPMENT IN BORDER AREAS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, May 30 (Antara) - The Indonesian government is concentrating on developing the border areas to advance physical development, increase economic activities, empower local people and improve their welfare in areas which share their borders with neighboring countries.          For this purpose, the central government has allocated a budget of Rp16 trillion to build and strengthen border regions this year.     "The government will focus on building and strengthening border regions in 2015," Home Minister Tjahjo Kumolo said in Manado, North Sulawesi, Friday.          The budget will be focused on the development of infrastructure, military and police defense, and other facilities, he noted.  As a result, border regions will become the base and gateway of economic growth in the country.          "Previously, we built border areas for four years. Unfortunately, it was developed only 16 percent," Kumolo remarked. There are a total of 187 sub-districts in the border regions of Aceh, Papua and East Nusa Tenggara, he pointed out.          The minister told the press that the development of border areas constituted a key to advancing Indonesia.          "President Joko Widodo is giving special attention to the preservation of regional integrity, the upholding of state sovereignty, the maintenance of national security and defense, the utilization of natural resources and the execution of equitable development," Kumulo added.

RI NEEDS TO REINFORCE ECONOMIC RESILIENCE IN BORDER AREAS

By Andi Abdussalam
Jakarta, Feb 23 (Antara) - As a window and gate for outsiders, border areas reflect a country's socio-economic, cultural and political resilience which is why the Indonesian government has to focus its development attention on its borders.          The problem existing in the Indonesian border areas concerns people's prosperity and economic backwardness as a result of the lack of transportation means, health facilities and low education.          "Border problem is not merely a problem of building a fence or a wall but also a problem of improving matters in the yard (namely the welfare condition of people inside the complex)," Anies Baswedan stated during a debate in a Democratic Party (PD) presidential candidate convention event in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, on Saturday.        Prosperity problem in the border areas is a crucial thing for the government to resolve. After all, many people who are crippled with poverty endured hardships with the absence of public facilities. Improving people's welfare will reduce infant and maternal mortality rates which are high during labor.        "One of the reasons is the lack of transportation facilities to the public healthcare centers," Anies, who is one of the 11 participants of the ruling Democratic Party (PD) presidential candidate convention, said.