Gibran Ensures That Grant Funds From The UAE Will Soon Be Used To Build Public Facilities

Solo Mayor Gibran Rakabuming Raka (left)/DOK ANTARA

Mayor of Surakarta Gibran Rakabuming Raka said grant funds from the government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) could soon be used to build a number of public facilities in Solo City.

"The UAE grant funds have been signed by two ministers, after that it was disbursed," he said in Solo, quoted by ANTARA, Tuesday, June 27.

Gibran said the two ministers were the Minister of Home Affairs (Mendagri) Muhammad Tito Karnavian and related ministers from the UAE government.

According to him, one of the infrastructures that will soon be carried out with the disbursement of the grant is Manahan's indoor GOR.

"In addition, after that, we are pursuing all the grants (projects using grant funds)," he said.

Before providing a grant of 15 million US dollars or equivalent to Rp. 236 billion, the government of the United Arab Emirates had already built the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque for Solo City.

However, he ensured that the grant funds were not for the maintenance of the mosque.

"(Regarding the maintenance of the mosque) we want to be independent, it does not depend on the UAE. It is not stopped (funds for the mosque), we ask for any assistance to be given, it is also from them," he said.

Gibran said that this time the UAE government grant funds will be used to advance other fields, such as the construction of hospitals that have also been planned in Solo.

"There are also (development) of several other areas," he said.