Commission V Of The House Of Representatives Appreciates Governor Zainal For Pushing For Acceleration Of Binuang Krayan Bridge Development

TANJUNG SELOR Commission V DPR expressed his appreciation to the Governor of North Kalimantan (Kaltara) Zainal Arifin Paliwang for his commitment to fight for the acceleration of the development of the Binuang Bridge in the Krayan border area.

This appreciation was conveyed by the Deputy Chairman of Commission V of the DPR, Syaiful Huda, while reviewing a number of infrastructure projects in Kaltara with his entourage, Tuesday, October 28.

According to Syaiful, the construction of the Binuang Bridge is a strategic step to strengthen the connectivity and independence of the people at the border. He assessed that the project could be accelerated if the budget allocation was fully focused in 2026.

"I agree with the Governor, if it can be accelerated, it will be better. If the budget is full in 2026, this project can be completed in the same year. Commission V is ready to support the acceleration," said Syaiful on the sidelines of the visit.

Initially, the bridge project was planned to use a multi-year scheme, with an allocation of IDR 17 billion in 2026 and the rest in 2027 of the total needs of around IDR 68 billion. However, Commission V assessed that the construction could be completed more quickly if the funds of around IDR 60 billion were disbursed at once in 2026.

Syaiful emphasized that infrastructure development in Kaltara has a strategic meaning because this province is the forefront of Indonesia which is directly adjacent to Malaysia.

"We want Kaltara's face to be level with other border areas such as NTT and West Kalimantan. The central government must fully support the provincial government," he said.

According to him, Kaltara's success in attracting the attention of the central government cannot be separated from Governor Zainal's efforts and consistency in fighting for strategic projects at the ministry level.

"He worked hard to convince the center. Alhamdulillah, now there is a green light and the scheme is directly transferred through the provincial government," he said.

Meanwhile, Governor Zainal Arifin Paliwang expressed his appreciation for the support of Commission V of the DPR for infrastructure development in Kaltara.

"I am grateful that the leadership and members of Commission V can come to see the conditions in the field. Kaltara is the gateway to Indonesia's storefront, so it should get serious attention from the central government," said Zainal.

According to him, accelerating the construction of the Binuang Bridge is very important to open logistical access and reduce the dependence of the people of Krayan on the supply of basic necessities from Malaysia.

So far, the people of Krayan have depended a lot on Malaysia. We are a big and rich country, we should be able to meet our own needs. I hope that by the end of 2026 this bridge will be completed," he said.

The governor said that the construction of the Binuang Bridge is expected to be a symbol of independence and connectivity in border areas, while strengthening the presence of the state in the outermost region.

"With the full support of the DPR RI and the central government, this strategic project is targeted to be completed before 2027 and has a real economic impact on the people of Krayan and its surroundings," said the Governor.