Visiting Moeldoko, Blitar Regent Asks For Road Infrastructure Improvement Support

Presidential Chief of Staff Dr. Moeldoko accompanied by Deputy I KSP Febry Calvin Tetelepta received an audience from Blitar Regent Rini Syarifah, at the Bina Graha building in Jakarta, Thursday, February 23. Rini's arrival was to ask for support from the Presidential Staff Office regarding regional road repairs in Blitar district.

Rini said, of the total length of the district road of 1558.30 kilometers, 20 percent or 325.75 kilometers were moderately and severely damaged. Damage is caused by unstable conditions and properties of the soil so that it is easily damaged. Moreover, when there is a flood and landslide disaster.

In addition, Moeldoko continued, the high mobility of transportation vehicles for economic activity that exceeds tonnage also damaged regional roads.

"Even though the damaged roads are connecting roads in economic centers in Blitar district. So it is necessary to handle sustainable road and bridge infrastructure," he explained.

Rini said Blitar district has great potential in the agricultural, tennis and tourism sectors. However, these various advantages cannot be optimized due to inadequate road infrastructure conditions.

Moreover, he continued, the Blitar Regency Regional Revenue and Expenditure Budget (APBD), which amounted to IDR 2.4 trillion, was still not sufficient to carry out road maintenance. "For that we ask for support from KSP so that regional road repairs in Blitar district can be assisted from the center, in this case, through the PUPR ministry," said Rini.

Responding to this, Presidential Chief of Staff Dr. Moeldoko emphasized the importance of local governments to be able to convince the Ministry of PUPR that improvements and regional road construction are related to economic growth in the regions.

Moeldoko also revealed that many regions are asking for assistance for infrastructure improvement in the regions. However, due to the limitations of the state budget, not all of these requests have been met.

"We (KSP) through Deputy One will try to convince the Ministry of PUPR, so that road construction in Blitar district can be completed," said Moeldoko.