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Indonesia to improve infrastructure on Malaysia border
Nowhere to go: Access to and from Temajuk Beach in Sambas regency, West Kalimantan is limited
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Nowhere to go: Access to and from Temajuk Beach in Sambas regency, West Kalimantan is limited. (The Jakarta Post) (The Jakarta Post)
Nowhere to go: Access to and from Temajuk Beach in Sambas regency, West Kalimantan is limited. (The Jakarta Post)
The government has promised to provide better infrastructure in Indonesia's border areas by 2019, especially in Kalimantan, which will be better than in neighboring country Malaysia.
Hediyanto W. Husaini, director general of Bina Marga at the Public Works and Public Housing Ministry, said on Saturday that the government would build parallel roads and access roads toward the border posts with Malaysia in Kalimantan.
"Not only will the posts be at least the same as Malaysia, but we will also build better supporting facilities than them," he said in Pontianak as quoted by Antara news agency.
Of seven posts in Kalimantan, three are located in West Kalimantan; Aruk in Sambas district, Nanga Badau in Kapuas Hulu district and the biggest one in Entikong in Sanggau district.
Hediyanto said the ministry planned to build a four-lane 21-kilometer access road connecting Balai Karangan to Entikong border post.
"We aim to complete the construction within 1.5 years," he said.
The road would not only serve as a transportation facility but also hold a deeper meaning as a symbol of pride in Indonesia, he said.
The ministry allocated Rp 50 billion (US$3.65 million) this year to widen the existing road. Hediyanto said there would be a bigger budget next year to cover the construction of the 21-km access road to Entikong.
Constructions of access roads to the two other border posts, Aruk and Nanga Badau, will be completed next month.
There are in total of 36.4 km of border roads in West Kalimantan and 380 km in North Kalimantan, of which 109 km were not yet complete, there are also 77 km of roads on the border island of Sebatik.
Hediyanto added that the government planned to build 1,793 km of parallel roads in Kalimantan up to 2019.
"Our priority for parallel roads are those closest to our border with Malaysia because they will also serve as defense access," he said.
The government allocated Rp 1.5 trillion for parallel roads in Kalimantan this year.
There are challenges in developing the access roads such as with land procurement and acquiring the construction materials. However, Hediyanto said that all parties including the local administrations supported the projects as they realized Indonesia's border areas lagged behind those of Malaysia. (rin)
