Jokowi Expects Trans Sumatra Toll Road To Increase Competitiveness Of Domestic Products

Trans Sumatra toll road / Screenshot

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo has visited the location of the Pekanbaru-Bangkinang toll road construction. There, Jokowi monitored the development of the construction of a 40 kilometer toll road which is included in the Trans Sumatra toll road network.

"This morning I visited and saw the progress of the development of the Trans Sumatra Toll Road construction on the Dumai-Pekanbaru section and it will be in the Pekanbaru, Pangginang, and later direction to Padang," Jokowi said in a YouTube broadcast of the Presidential Secretariat, Wednesday, May 19.

Jokowi said that the progress of the construction of this toll road has been running for approximately 40 kilometers. He hopes that the construction progress will be completed soon.

If the addition of toll roads is completed soon, said Jokowi, the mobility of goods and movement of people will be carried out more easily. So, it can increase the competitiveness of domestic products.

"With the opening of many of these toll roads, we expect the mobility of goods, the mobility of people can be accelerated and the existing products are good, in the provinces of Riau and Padang will have good competitiveness, especially in order to compete with other countries' products," he explained. Jokowi.

For information, the Trans-Sumatra Toll Road project is proclaimed a priority and strategic project (major project) in the 2020-2024 RPJMN. Apart from being a major project, the President has also designated the Trans Sumatra Toll Road as a National Strategic Project in Presidential Decree 109/2020.

The Trans Sumatra Toll Road is designed to connect areas along the island of Sumatra from Lampung to Aceh along 2,987 kilometers.

In South Sumatra, there are several toll roads under construction, including the 126.7 km Indralaya-Muara Enim Simpang section that passes through Ogan Ilir, Muara Enim, and Prabumulih.

The Palembang-Betung section, as part of the 69 km-long Kayu Agung-Palembang-Betung section that passes through Ogan Komering Ilir, Ogan Ilir, Pelembang, and Banyuasin, and the 134 km Betung-Tempino-Jambi section that passes through Banyuasin, Musi Banyuasin, and Muaro Jambi.