Jakarta (Antara Bali) -- Border regions are given priority in national development programs, according to a special staff member of the national planning and development minister, Sonny Harry B. Harmadi.
"Issues that take place in border areas are crucial and must be resolved immediately. Development in border regions is given priority in national development projects," Harmadi said here on Monday.
During his visits to border regions between Indonesia and neighboring countries such as Malaysia, Timor-Leste and Papua New Guinea, the primary issue he found was that communities deal with lack of infrastructure.
Poor infrastructure and other facilities can lower the sovereignty of Indonesia, especially in terms of economy.
"People in the regions bordering Indonesia and Malaysia use ringgit more frequently than rupiah," Harmadi pointed out.
He also saw that communities in border areas in Kalimantan prefer to shop and use Malaysian products.
To overcome these issues, Harmadi proposed that the government build viable infrastructure in these regions to boost the economy of local people.
In addition, he suggested that the government and local administrations establish institutes of higher education and strategic industries in border regions to invite people from other places to live there and develop the economy.
According to Harmadi, if the government and local administrations build educational institutes and create jobs in border areas, economic growth in these places will improve optimally.
He explained that when East Timor province was separated from Indonesia, the government built infrastructure in the east island.
"The construction of infrastructure facilities will improve the welfare of the people in Timor island, better than that of people in Timor-Leste," he remarked. (WDY)
