Government Budgets IDR 32.7 Trillion For Damaged Road Handling

The photo archive of the Minister of Public Works and Public Housing Basuki Hadimuljono when met at the Jakarta Presidential Palace yard, Thursday (6/4/2023). ANTARA/Mentari Dwi Gayati

JAKARTA - The government has allocated a budget of IDR 32.7 trillion for handling damaged roads throughout Indonesia for 2023-2024.

Minister of Public Works and Public Housing Basuki Hadimuljono responded to the many complaints from netizens regarding damaged roads in their respective areas which were conveyed through the comments column uploaded by President Joko Widodo's video on his Instagram account @jokowi.

Basuki emphasized that the government has prepared the budget through the Minister of Finance as a follow-up to the Presidential Instruction of the Republic of Indonesia (Inpres) Number 3 of 2022 concerning the Acceleration of Increasing Connectivity of Regional Roads.

"The Minister of Finance's division of duties has prepared a budget for 2023-2024. (Year) 2023 is IDR 32.7 trillion throughout Indonesia, there are thousands of segments," said Basuki Hadimuljono when met at the Jakarta Presidential Palace complex as reported by ANTARA, Monday, May 15.

Basuki explained that in the first phase, the Ministry of PUPR proposed road repairs in a number of areas, including in Lampung, with a budget of Rp. 14.9 trillion.

The amount of the proposed Rp14.9 trillion budget has met the criteria for road readiness in accordance with Presidential Instruction Number 3 of 2022.

He detailed that district/city roads are the roads that get attention because of the large number.

According to Basuki, not all district/city governments have more budget capacity to improve road infrastructure.

"This National road is like a tree. The stems are national roads, the branches are provincial roads, the branches are city district roads. So the national road is less than the provincial road, less than the city district road. So there are many regencies and cities," he said.

Complaints related to damaged roads from netizens flooded the comments column of President Joko Widodo's upload on his Instagram account.

President Jokowi's video upload while reviewing one of the damaged roads in Lampung Province was flooded with complaints from netizens of up to 100 thousand more comments.

The government has also paid attention to handling roads in the regions through the Presidential Instruction of the Republic of Indonesia (Inpres) Number 3 of 2022 concerning the Acceleration of Increasing Connectivity of Regional Roads.

This Presidential Instruction was signed by the President on March 16, 2023, as an effort to accelerate the improvement of regional road connectivity, provide maximum benefits to the national and regional economy, reduce national logistics costs, integrate between economic centers, and help equalize steady road conditions.