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).
Hence, the government of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) is focusing on developing marginalized areas, border regions, and outlying areas in an effort to promote equitable distribution of prosperity among the people. This is included in the government's work programs for 2017 and preparations for 2018.
As stated by President Jokowi at the Bogor Palace recently, Indonesia's gini ratio is improving, yet it is still high. Hence, the government has to work hard to lower the gaps, both among regions and between the rich and poor.
"We are implementing the equality development program starting from the frontier islands, borders, marginalized, and underdeveloped villages. The potential there needs to be developed," President Jokowi stated while attending the 44th anniversary of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle in Jakarta on Tuesday (Jan 10).
To this end, the government has continued to increase the amount of budget for village development from Rp20.5 trillion in 2015 to Rp47 trillion in 2016 and Rp60 trillion in 2017.
Priority is being given to the construction of village infrastructure, roads, irrigation networks, and bridges.
"I always check whether the village funds have been used in the right areas that are needed by the people," Jokowi asserted.
In the border areas, the government has built at least two checkpoints in Entikong, West Kalimantan, bordering with the Malaysian State of Sabah and in Mota Ain in East Nusa Tenggara, which shares its borders with Timor Leste.
On his first visit to Entikong in 2014, Jokowi had said the border post building was not in a good condition compared to that in the neighboring country and urged Minister of Public Works Basuki Hadi Muljono to construct a new building.
"I gave a time period of two years from 2014, and at the end of 2016, it has been constructed.The minister also said the post is already better than that of the neighboring country, but I will check it later," Jokowi stated while inaugurating the Rp152-billion worth new building of the checkpoint in Entikong last December.
The president also inaugurated an integrated cross-border post in Mota Ain, Belu District, East Nusa Tenggara, on December 28. President Jokowi believes that the integrated cross-border post showcases the Indonesian pride.
"It is a matter of pride. The integrated cross-border post in Mota Ain is not only the face of East Nusa Tenggara but also of Indonesia," Jokowi said during the inauguration of the post.
Development in the border areas, outlying islands, and villages is being carried out as part of the efforts to narrow the development gaps among regions in the country. This is the commitment of the current government where equitable development programs are the main focus in future.
In an effort to reduce the gaps, the government's policy on asset redistribution and land legalization is also crucial, as it wants the public to have ownership of land.
Thus, the government will focus on offering concession to the people, such as on customary land and certification of land. To this end, comprehensive efforts will be made in the coming two years.
"I have told the BPN minister (agrarian and spatial planning minister/head of the National Land Agency) and the LHK minister (environment and forestry minister) that asset redistribution, which had been started in late 2016, should be carried out with utmost commitment and on a massive scale in 2017," the president affirmed.
In order to provide people with equitable access to capital, the scope of the government's micro credit (KUR) program should be increased and expanded in 2017 and the subsequent years.
The government is doing its best to make the KUR program accessible to many more people, with more amounts of micro loans being disbursed.(A014/INE)
EDITED BY INE(T.A014/A/BESSR/F. Assegaf) 20-01-2017 12:20:23 |
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