During their open debate, the two presidential candidates will focus on issues of energy, food, environment, infrastructure, and natural resources. Infrastructure is perceived as the strength of Widodo, who has been ruling Indonesia for five years.
Apart from the fact that the issues of energy, food, environment, and natural resources are important, infrastructure does seem to hold special significance for the incumbent president since the length of toll roads, for instance, has been extended remarkably under his leadership.
As revealed by Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono, within four years of the Widodo-Jusuf Kalla administration, a total of 941 kilometers of toll roads and 3,423 kilometers of national roads had been constructed.
The Trans-Java Highway, connecting the ferry port in Merak, Banten Province, to Surabaya, capital city of East Java Province, had also been completed, thereby cutting short the travel time and reducing the current logistics costs.
As part of the central government`s prioritized development projects, the toll roads are not merely constructed in Java, but they are also built outside the island, such as Sumatra, Kalimantan, and Sulawesi.
In Sumatra Island, the earlier government`s idea of constructing the toll roads connecting the ferry port in Bakauheni, Lampung Province, to cities in Aceh Province, has also been realized during the term of the Widodo-Kalla administration.
Currently, as noted by the Public Works and Housing Ministry, work on the Banda Aceh-Sigli toll road section has begun, and this 74-kilometer-long toll road, which is one of the sections of the Trans-Sumatra Toll Road, is targeted for completion in 2024.
During his visit to Aceh Province last year, President Widodo had expressed optimism that the Trans-Sumatra Toll Road, extending some two thousand kilometers away from Bakauheni in the southern part of Lampung to Aceh, would have been completed in 2024.
The Trans-Sumatra Toll Road Construction project remains underway. State-owned construction companies, which have got involved in the project, have attempted to work hard to ensure that it will be completed as targeted.
On December 31, 2018, state-owned construction company PT Waskita Karya had also signed an Addendum II of the Agreement on the Implementation of Terbanggi Besar-Pematang Panggang-Kayu Agung Toll Road Construction.
The total value of the Terbanggi Besar-Pematang Panggang-Kayu Agung toll road construction project was estimated at Rp13.1 trillion, PT Waskita Karya revealed in a press statement that Antara quoted on Jan 11.
According to the statement, Waskita and state construction firm Hutama Karya had agreed to change the payment scheme, from modified turnkey to turnkey, by considering various aspects, including those related to financial, legal, and technical matters.
"With this addendum, PT Waskita Karya (Persero) Tbk will receive payment after the construction works are completed in 2019," the statement noted.
Based on Presidential Regulation Number 100 of 2014, PT Hutama Karya is appointed as a toll road operator, while PT Waskita Karya functions as a Trans-Sumatra toll road contractor for building the Terbanggi Besar-Pematang Panggang-Kayu Agung Section.
Waskita President Director I Gusti Ngurah Putra earlier remarked that the government had expected that the 185-kilometer-long toll road would have been used by the people during this year`s Idul Fitri holiday season.
Waskita will attempt to meet the target to complete the toll road section prior to the Idul Fitri celebration in June, he stated, adding that he had prepared necessary measures to anticipate any unexpected failure in meeting the target.
The toll road construction projects are also being implemented outside Java and Sumatra Islands as can be observed from the Balikpapan-Samarinda and Manada-Bitung toll road projects.
The Public Works and Housing Ministry noted that as of February 1, 2019, the progress in the Balikpapan-Samarinda Toll Road, which is the first highway being constructed in Indonesian provinces in Kalimantan Island, had reached some 85.7 percent.
Progress of some 53.47 percent had been achieved in the Manado-Bitung Toll Road Construction Project. Under the first five-year term of his leadership, President Widodo has put in significant efforts to enhance connectivity within islands through the toll road projects.
The second round of the presidential debate is a golden opportunity for the incumbent president to elaborate on his past, present, and future efforts for the public, including his concrete works in the infrastructure sector.
Deputy Chairman of the Widodo-Amin camp`s National Campaign Team Moeldoko stated that Widodo was ready to challenge his contender Subianto in the debate to be broadcast live by several television channels.
He has mastered the substance of all issues to be addressed during the debate. He has also prepared necessary critical points of the issues to be debated.
The second round of the presidential debate will be an opportunity for the audience to gain insight into the presidential candidates` views and perspectives and for the incumbent president to clarify issues that the public needs to know, Moeldoko remarked.
The people at large, particularly those having rights to cast votes in polling booths on April 17, 2019, are keen to see how the incumbent president defends his five-year-long works in the infrastructure sector.
Editing by Suharto
Reporter: Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Suharto
Copyright © ANTARA 2019
