President Jokowi Inaugurates Manado-Bitung Toll Road

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo inaugurated the completion of the construction of the Manado-Bitung Toll Road in Bitung City, North Sulawesi, after the completion of the Danowudu-Bitung section with a 13.5-kilometer road segment.

"Thus, the entire 39.8-kilometer Manado-Bitung Toll Road is complete and ready to be used to support all community activities in North Sulawesi Province", the President said at the inauguration quoted by Antara on Friday, February 25.

President Jokowi and his entourage also had the opportunity to directly use the Manado-Bitung Toll Road after continuing a series of working visits from Palu City, Central Sulawesi.

The President traveled the Manado-Bitung distance accompanied by the Governor of North Sulawesi, Olly Dondokambey, and his line of ministers, namely the Minister of Public Works and Public Housing, Basuki Hadimuljono, Minister of SOEs, Erick Thohir, and Minister of State Secretary, Pratikno.

"Earlier, the Governor said that this toll road cut the travel time from Manado to Bitung which was previously 1.5 hours to 2 hours. Now, I was driving 35 minutes, but I wasn't speeding. If I was speeding, I thought it would take 30 minutes", he said.

With this reduction in travel time, the President believes that the Manado-Bitung Toll Road will not only facilitate the mobility of people from Manado to Bitung but also for logistics delivery and the mobility of goods from Manado to the Bitung International Port.

Meanwhile, the Governor of North Sulawesi, Olly Dondokambey, in his speech said that the completion of the Manado-Bitung Toll Road construction will help economic growth in the region.

"This is proof that the President and the central government are really building from east to west", said Governor Olly.

"And of course, as it is today, sir, even though the North Sulawesi COVID-19 continues to grow, its economic growth continues. In 2021 we will have 4.17 economic growth in North Sulawesi", he added.

The North Sulawesi economic growth rate exceeds Indonesia's 2021 national economic growth which is at 3.69 percent.