Government to Build 769 Km New Roads

Yogyakarta (Antara Bali) - Minister of Public Works and Public Housing Hadimulyono Basuki said the government is targeting to complete the construction of 769 kilometers (km) of new roads, including the 158 km causeway along the south coast of Java.

"Anyway, the pansela (the southern coast of Java) should be connected in 2017," Basuki said during his address at a seminar on infrastructure at the Faculty of Engineering, the University of Gajah Mada, on Thursday.

He stated that priority will be accorded to the construction of trans Sumatra, trans Kalimantan, Sulawesi and Papua roads.

In addition, completing construction of 29 kilometer of toll road, 52 thousand kilometers of irrigation networks and 39 reservoirs is part of the target.

"Next year, 39 dams will be built besides nine new reservoirs, 105 reservoirs and 84 thousand irrigation networks," Basuki elaborated.

Nevertheless, he admitted that it will not be easy to complete the construction of this infrastructure because land acquisition posed a difficulty.

"Every two weeks, there is a coordination meeting with the minister in charge of spatial and environmental affairs," he explained.

As of September 2016, according to Basuki, the new infrastructure development has reached 46.49 percent of the target with physical development reaching 53 percent.

"Progress this year is higher than last year when it was only 36.46 percent until mid-September with 40 percent physical work accomplished," he recalled.

He added that the government will continue to focus on the infrastructure work in 35 strategic development areas, including the area of Borobudur which has been integrated with the Kulon Progo airport.

"The southern coast line can support the airport. In essence, the infrastructure is being developed to improve competitiveness and productivity. Therefore, in order to be competitive, infrastructure development must be faster, better and cheaper," Basuki reiterated. (WDY)