“After this, we will focus on developing our human resources,” Jokowi said, addressing thousands of supporters attending his open campaign.
He outlined several major projects constructed in East Kalimantan, such as a 90-km-long Balikpapan-Samarinda toll road, the Teritip dam, the Tapin dam, and the Marangkayu dam, as well as a Pertamina refinery in Balikpapan.
Jokowi also promised to complete the construction of the Balikpapan-Samarinda toll road this year.
"The Samarinda-Balikpapan toll road is not yet ready; 20 percent of the road is yet to be completed and we will finish it later this year. I am following up on this," Jokowi said.
The toll road will cut short the time taken to travel from Balikpapan to Samarinda from three hours to one hour. The toll road will also be extended to Bontang.
In order to increase the national oil stock and create more job opportunities, he also promised to build more oil refineries in Balikpapan and Bontang.
"This is mainly to ensure the availability of oil stocks, and at the same time, to create as many job opportunities as possible," Jokowi said.
Jokowi has been a part of election campaign rallies in several cities on the Kalimantan Island. He started his campaign in Pontianak in West Kalimantan Province on Wednesday morning, and in the afternoon, proceeded to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan.
On Thursday, he campaigned in Balikpapan, and later proceeded to Mamuju in West Sulawesi Province.
During the campaign rallies, he was accompanied by members of his national campaign team (TKN), such as Erick Thohir (TKN chairman), TKN Deputy Chairman Moeldoko, and Abdul Kadir Karding, Yenny Wahid, as well as Chairman of Islam-based political party PBB Yusril Ihza Mahendra.
Indonesia will organize the legislative and presidential elections simultaneously in April 2019.
Translator: Novi Abdi, Fardah
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2019
