Support Economic Growth And Regional Investment, Ministry Of PUPR Optimizes Infrastructure Development

Minister of PUPR Basuki Hadimuljono. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) continues to strive to strengthen economic growth and support investment in the regions through accelerating infrastructure development.

PUPR Minister Basuki Hadimuljono said infrastructure has a role in controlling inflation, such as ensuring food supply and basic commodities through the construction of dams, irrigation networks, and rehabilitation of irrigation networks.

"Currently, out of 61 dams, 38 dams have been inaugurated by President Jokowi in Indonesia, with a new irrigation farm area in 2022 of around 255,015 hectares, while for the rehabilitation of the irrigation network it has reached 3.84 million hectares," Basuki said in a press release, quoted on Wednesday, January 18.

"The task of the local government is for the tertiary network, so that rice production can be even better," he added.

Minister Basuki also said that infrastructure development plays a role in ensuring the smooth distribution of food and basic commodities through the construction of toll roads and the construction of non-toll roads, as well as flood control for smooth transportation through the construction of dams, flood control and coastal safety, as well as the construction of production roads.

"Distributions also affect inflation and investment. As of 2022, a new 1,850 km toll road has been built, and God willing, by 2024 it will be targeted that the toll road will be connected along 2,697 km, bringing the total length of the toll road to 3,490 km to 2024," he explained.

Then, the construction of non-toll roads carried out between 2015 and 2021 is 4,819 km long. In 2022, it has been completed along 846 km, bringing the total length of the national road from 2015 to 2022 along 5,665 km.

The construction of production roads is carried out to make it easier for farmers to transport commodities through the Regional Socio-Economic Infrastructure Development (PISEW) program with a community participation approach.

"The PISEW program is implemented for regional economic investment through infrastructure development in rural areas. In addition, to alleviate extreme poverty while fighting stunting, various programs are implemented in the context of providing and improving infrastructure with a community participation approach through infrastructure development, starting from upgrading houses through BSPS, providing clean water, and sanitation," explained Basuki.

"After improving its infrastructure, the ministry of social affairs will come with empowerment, because with consolidated programs, we can combat stunting and extreme poverty," he continued.

Furthermore, regarding the construction of flood control infrastructure for smooth logistics, the Ministry of PUPR has completed the construction of 38 dams and 23 on going dams, as well as building river embankments/waterways/pumpings and coastal safety between 2015-2022 along 1,983 km.

In the future, the Ministry of PUPR will still prioritize the use of infrastructure development that has been built, namely through Operations, Maintenance, Optimization and Rehabilitation (OPOR).

"We will continue the infrastructure development that we have built and will focus on collaborating, and take advantage of what we have built so far," added Basuki.

For your information, infrastructure development throughout Indonesia is a follow-up to the direction of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) which emphasizes the importance of doing extra efforts in controlling inflation, such as expanding cooperation between regions, mobilizing and facilitating food distribution, as well as increasing food production.

"Investasi yang ada di negara (Indonesia) pada 2022 sudah 53 persen berada di luar Jawa. Peretasan terjadi karena telah dibangun infrastruktur yang banyak di luar Jawa. Dari target Rp1.200 triliun, investasi yang tercapai, yaitu Rp1.207 triliun di 2022, sehingga investasi menjadi key pertumbuhan ekonomi," ujar Joko Widodo dalam Pembukaan Rapat Koordinasi Nasional (Rakornas) Kepala Daerah dan Forum Koordinasi Pimpinan di Daerah (FORKOPIMDA) di Sentul, Bogor, pada Selasa, 17 Januari.