Mahfud MD Affirms BNPP Ready To Present National Development In Southwest Maluku

AMBON - Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Menko Polhukam) Mahfud MD who is also the Head of the National Border Management Agency (BNPP) confirmed that he would present national development in Southwest Maluku (MBD) Maluku.

"The government's first goal is to protect the entire nation, protect the place of the earth and the nation every soul, and focus on the protection of the population and territory of the Republic of Indonesia, for that the government takes concrete development steps in border areas as it is today," Mahfud MD said as reported by ANTARA, Thursday, June 15.

Mahfud said this in the declaration of the 2023 Border Area Integrated Development Movement (Gerbangdutas) in Moa, Southwest Maluku (MBD).

He said the national border was the homepage of a country that represented the nation's face and the progress of Indonesia, so the government decided that border development was a national priority.

"The President of the Republic of Indonesia is very concerned and firmly states that the state must be present at the border, so that people can feel the joys of national development and the presence of the State," he said.

Therefore, Mahfud emphasized that BNPP is ready to present national development in MBD, and the border communities and outermost islands in Leti, Meatimiarang, Kisar, Lirang so that everyone feels proud to be the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia and participate in defending it.

"In 2023 the government has budgeted more than IDR 7.71 trillion which is still spread in the budgets of various Institutional ministries to build borders in 15 provinces, 54 regencies and cities, and in 222 sub-districts of priority locations including MBD, this must be jointly guarded so that budget allocations can be used optimally and the goals achieved in border efforts can be improved," he continued.

Mahfud expressed his appreciation for the various concrete steps in the implementation of development by the Ministry of Institutions and local governments by looking at the facts on the ground from time to time, to success, and bringing the face of the Indonesian border to a better direction from time to time.

"I hope that all can contribute significantly and concretely in this program and the Ministry of Institutions with the support of the Regional Government and the community must have full commitment and determination to build borders by implementing a draft regional and border area management action that has been set in 2023. I want this border area development movement to be well implemented and the development targets that have been set can be achieved," he said.

Local governments through the Regional Border Management Agency are asked to monitor the plan for the management of the state border and border areas in 2023 by ministries and institutions.

The results of monitoring must be coordinated with the BNPP secretary as material for evaluating and controlling border development in 2023,

"I believe that with the synergy and hard work of all Ministries of Institutions and Local Governments as well as the community, efforts to present the State at the border and development of Indonesia, from the outskirts to realize the country's borders as a safe, sovereign and competitive area as we want will be a vision that we can realize together. I also want to invite all of us to believe that equitable border development can unite Indonesia, strengthen sovereignty and improve civilization," he explained.