Jokowi Prepares IDR 15 Trillion To Build Regional Roads In 2024

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said that regional road construction will continue and the government has prepared a budget of IDR 15 trillion.

"Last year (the construction of regional roads) ran out of Rp. 14.6 trillion for repairing damaged roads, for this year it was prepared again Rp. 15 trillion," Jokowi said at the 2024 National Development Planning Conference at JCC Senayan Jakarta, Monday, May 6.

Jokowi said the government had built 5,833 km of national roads, which had been connected to various tourism areas, plantations, productive agriculture and handicraft centers.

However, Jokowi conveyed that regional road construction will be a priority, namely areas that can boost national economic performance.

"There must be a productive road to plantation farming, so the priority is the economy. This must be calculated by the regions," said Jokowi.

Deputy Minister of Finance Suahasil Nazara said that to encourage regional economic growth, his party had prepared a budget of IDR 12 trillion for regional road construction every year.

Suahasil menyampaikan pada tahun lalu, pemerintah telah menambah anggaran sebesar Rp14 triliun sebagai tindak lanjut dari Instruksi Presiden (Inpres) No 3 Tahun 2023 tentang percepatan peningkatan konektivitas jalan daerah.

"Last year we disbursed Rp. 14 trillion, plus Rp. 12.5 from the Special Allocation Fund (DAK), this should have brought benefits to the community," he said.

However, Suahasil conveyed that the construction of this regional road must also go through a program synchronization between the central and regional governments so that the costs that have been disbursed can encourage national economic growth.