Deputy Minister Of Public Works Confesses There Is A Road Project In North Kalimantan Stabbing Due To Conflict

Deputy Minister of Public Works (PU) Diana Kusumastuti. (Theresia Agatha/VOI)

Deputy Minister of Public Works (PU) Diana Kusumastuti revealed that there were challenges in the construction of roads and bridges in a number of conflict-prone areas. In fact, one of the developments in North Kalimantan (Kaltara) had to end up being postponed.

He said that development in conflict-prone areas made its implementation could not run smoothly, including for road construction in Kaltara.

"If I may tell you, sir, North Kalimantan, there is one border that has finally been delayed, sir. We are not building it, because some things for implementation are very difficult," Diana said at the signing of the MoU with the TNI at the PU Ministry office, Jakarta, Monday, July 21.

Apart from North Kalimantan, Diana said, the construction of roads and bridges in Papua also faces similar challenges. As a result, development in the area was also not completed.

In order to anticipate disturbances in the conflict area, the Ministry of Public Works cooperates with the Indonesian National Army (TNI). The goal is to provide security for the construction of projects in disadvantaged, outermost, border areas to disaster-prone areas.

"Starting from the construction of national roads that open isolation in remote areas in Papua, the provision of clean water in NTT to rehabilitation of sanitation infrastructure in urban slum areas," he said.

According to Diana, there are several collaborations in the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the two. Such as strategic cooperation in the field of water resource management; road management; drinking water supply system (SPAM) and sanitation; building arrangement; state home management to strategic infrastructure.

As well as improving the quality of human resources and priorities for the outermost, underdeveloped, border and disaster-prone areas

"We really need a national army in Indonesia, so that this development can continue," he said.