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Autonomy Watch: New bridge to bring investment to Madura
With the Suramadu Bridge in operation, more investment is expected to come to Bangkalan regency, Madura, East Java, an official says
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ith the Suramadu Bridge in operation, more investment is expected to come to Bangkalan regency, Madura, East Java, an official says.
Bangkalan Deputy Regent Syafiq Rofi' said the administration plans to develop the regency step by step in line with its budget and human resources.
The administration, he said, would welcome any new development, which could provide jobs for people on the island without sacrificing local values.
It would also help investors and residents to reach a common understanding on the much needed development on the island, he added.
"We hope development programs in Bangkalan and all region in Madura will benefit all, especially the island's residents," he said during a recent discussion organized by Kompas in Surabaya, East Java to check conditions in Madura after the bridge's opening.
Ekna Satriyati, an academic from Trunojoyo University in Bangkalan, said people on the island would not refuse development as long as it is in line with local norms.
Maduranese people, she said, have been waiting for new development programs on the island since the opening of the Suramadu bridge. "They expect many investors with many job opportunities," Ekna said.
Chairman of the Suramadu Region Development Body, Eddy Purwanto, said many investors have expressed interest in investing in Madura as long as the government guarantees its safety. The government, through related ministries, plans to develop ecofriendly industry on the island.
"My office has proposed to the central government plans to build roads on the north and south sides of Madura to further support the development plan," he said.
Another speaker, economic expert Didiek Junaedi Rachbini, highlighted the important role of clerics in Madura to accommodate the interest of residents and investors, adding that understanding between the two would help development.
A Maduranese himself, he said that he was aware of concerns that industrialization would have a bad impact but urged residents to keep an open mind about development.
"Any development needs solid support from all," he said. "The people, the regency administration, the central government and investors need to agree on development plan."
In response, Achmad Fauzi, a cleric from Al-Amin boarding school, Sampang, said Maduranese people would support any development plan that was in the people's best interests. "*Clerics* will bridge the government's development plan with the people in a hope that the development benefits all," he said.
