Jokowi Ensures That Road Repairs Are Severely Damaged In Lampung Taken Over By The Ministry Of PUPR If The Regional Government Is Not Able

Capture the screen/President Joko Widodo after visiting the Natar Traditional Market, South Lampung/Youtube Presidential Secretariat

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo said the damaged road in Lampung Province would be taken over by the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing if the provincial and district governments did not have the budget to repair it.

This was conveyed by President Jokowi after visiting the Natar Traditional Market, South Lampung, Friday, May 5.

"What thinks is that the province does not have the ability, then the district does not have the ability, it will be taken over by the Ministry of Public Works, especially those whose roads are badly damaged," said President Jokowi when giving a press statement reported by ANTARA.

Jokowi emphasized that the repair of a number of roads in Lampung Province began as quickly as possible.

The President said his visit to Lampung Province was to review road infrastructure, as well as food prices in traditional markets.

According to President Jokowi, road infrastructure plays an important role in reducing logistics costs that affect commodity prices in the market and inflation.

"We see inflation, see prices, but also want to see infrastructure, especially roads, because this is the key. Logistical costs really depend on whether or not the infrastructure we have," said the President.

President Joko Widodo previously admitted that he wanted to ensure the truth of the many damaged roads in Lampung whose videos went viral in cyberspace, so he planned to make a working visit to the province.

"I want to make sure, whether or not what is in the video. Whether what is in the media is true or not," Jokowi told reporters at Sarinah Mall, Central Jakarta, Thursday (4/5).

The President stated that the government was starting to collect data on district/city roads and provincial roads that were badly damaged.

Jokowi believes that this happened because the Regional Revenue and Expenditure Budget (APBD) at the provincial and district/city levels was not allocated for infrastructure development.