West Java DPRD Sambut Positive Policy 7.5 Percent APBD For Road Repair

Illustration of road repairs (ANTARA)

Deputy Chairperson of the West Java DPRD, Iwan Suryawan, positively welcomed the direction of the Governor of West Java, Dedi Mulyadi, regarding the obligation of district/city governments to allocate a minimum of 7.5 percent of the total APBD for road infrastructure improvement.

According to Iwan, the policy is relevant to the needs of the community and must be immediately implemented consistently throughout the region. He assessed that Governor Dedi's directive reflects the seriousness of the provincial government in dealing with infrastructure issues that have been public complaints.

The 7.5 percent allocation is a realistic figure and can be used as a minimum standard to support road development in every district/city. If it is not set at least like this, many regions tend to ignore road conditions because the priority is not infrastructure," he said, Tuesday, September 23.

Iwan highlighted that there are still areas with very small infrastructure budgets, such as Sukabumi Regency which only allocates Rp150 billion from the APBD Rp4.2 trillion. According to him, this amount is far from sufficient to repair the heavily damaged roads. Therefore, he urged that the governor's directives be set in formal regulations so that it is binding for all regional heads.

The PKS politician also considered it natural for people to complain about damaged roads without questioning the status of authority. "Residents don't care if it's provincial, district, or city roads. What they know is that it is damaged and dangerous. They will protest to anyone who is considered to have power, including the governor," he said.

In addition, Iwan appreciated Governor Dedi Mulyadi's leadership style, which was considered to set an example in budget efficiency, such as cutting official travel costs. According to him, bureaucratic spending savings must be followed by focusing on the real needs of the community.

The West Java DPRD, he continued, is ready to carry out strict supervision of the implementation of the road infrastructure budget allocation policy. He even proposed an annual evaluation of the allocation and realization of the budget in each region. If it is not in accordance with 7.5 percent, the regional head must be asked for clarification," he said.

Iwan also encourages community involvement in supervising the use of the budget so that the quality of road projects is better. He emphasized the importance of transparency by publicizing the progress of every project financed by the APBD.

According to him, a feasible road is not just a physical project, but a social investment that has an impact on local mobility and economic growth. He also proposed special incentives for regions that have managed to manage infrastructure budgets efficiently.

"If all regions imitate the courage and firmness of the Governor, West Java can be much better in a short time," he concluded.