Kaltara Governor Discussed Border Conditions in the DPR Commission II RDP, Need Central Attention

North Kalimantan (Kaltara) Governor Zainal Arifin Paliwang explained the actual conditions of the RI-Malaysia border area in the Working Meeting and Hearing Meeting of the Working Committee (Panja) for Border Management of the State Commission II of the DPR.

Governor Zainal revealed that the high prices of basic necessities and the limitations of basic infrastructure are still faced by border communities.

"The high price of goods is not due to scarcity, but rather the difficulty of access to distribution. At the border, the price of one sack of cement can reach Rp. 800 thousand, while 3 kilograms of LPG can reach Rp. 400 thousand. This is not because the goods are rare, but because the access to distribution is very difficult," he said in the RDP at the DPR building, Wednesday, January 21.

He explained that a number of border areas in Kaltara still rely on river transportation using long boats that must pass through rapids, so they are at risk of life and property safety.

"There are still areas that can only be reached by long boat through rapids. The risk is not only lost goods, but also lives," said Zainal.

"This condition has a direct impact on the slow development of roads, electricity networks, telecommunications, as well as health and education services in the outermost regions in Kaltara," he continued.

Zainal emphasized that the North Kalimantan Provincial Government had tried to open access roads at the border. However, the high price of materials made the results of the development very limited.

"We have tried to open access to the road, but with a budget of Rp. 5 billion in Krayan, we can only produce about 800 meters of road because the raw materials are expensive," he said.

In addition to infrastructure development, the provincial government is implementing affirmative programs such as flying doctors and subsidies for people and goods transportation to keep basic services running.

Zainal emphasized that communication with the central government had resulted in budget support of Rp. 150 billion for the construction of bridges in border areas.

"What we hope is that the central government will extend a helping hand to allocate more budget to border areas, especially for social, educational, and health needs," he said.

Zainal added that attention to the border is part of efforts to maintain state sovereignty.

"Border areas are the front door of the country. Attention to the people there is equivalent to maintaining the sovereignty of the Republic of Indonesia," he concluded.

The meeting was chaired by the DPR Commission II Panja Team and was attended by representatives of the central and border regions, including Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Bima Arya Sugiarto, Ribka Haluk, and Akhmad Wiyagus, Deputy Minister of ATR/BPN Ossy Dermawan, and Secretary of BNPP Makhruzi Rahman.