Inaugurating The Pekanbaru-Dumai Toll Road, Jokowi: This Road Invites Investment Interest

(President Joko Widodo when delivering remarks before the inauguration of the toll road (Capture the YouTube screen of the Presidential Secretariat)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo inaugurated the Pekanbaru-Dumai toll road which is 131.5 kilometers long online. This toll road is fully operational to support community activities in Riau Province and communities in other provinces.

"I received a report that the existence of this toll road has invited investment interest to develop businesses around this toll road, such as opening an industrial area that will open jobs," Jokowi said in his remarks before inaugurating the toll road which was broadcast on the YouTube account of the Presidential Secretariat, Friday. , 25 September.

Not only industrial areas, the existence of this toll road also makes entrepreneurs develop housing and tourism facilities which will form economic centers and create many jobs for the community.

The former governor of DKI Jakarta also said that the toll road which was built since 2017 and spent a budget of Rp. 12.18 trillion was part of the Trans Sumatra Toll Road which covers 2,878 kilometers. It is hoped that with this toll road, connectivity between Pekanbaru, the capital of Riau Province and Dumai City, will increase.

Moreover, this toll road shortens the mileage. If previously the distance from Pekanbaru City to Dumai City reached 200 kilometers, now via this toll road the distance is only 131 kilometers.

"With this condition, trucks transporting palm oil, transporting oil, transporting logistics, transporting passengers will be more efficient both in terms of time and cost," he said.

Furthermore, he reminded local governments and residents of Pekanbaru and Dumai communities to make the best use of this toll road infrastructure to develop business opportunities. In addition, he also asked the regional heads to respond immediately to investors' interest in entering.

"So that local governments and the community can benefit from the existence of the infrastructure being built," he said.

"By saying bismillahirrahmanirrahim I will inaugurate the Pekanbaru-Dumai Toll Road today," he said during the inauguration before the event was closed.