"This noon, I observe the commencement of the Belawan Marine Village renovation process in Belawan, Medan, North Sumatra," the President said, as broadcast by the Presidential Secretariat YouTube channel on Thursday.
The renovation project in the village, which includes area rearrangement and renovation of houses, will proceed under the responsibility of the Medan municipal authority, he informed.
"The central government, through the Public Works and Public Housing Ministry, will be responsible for area rearrangement. Hence, the clean water system, sanitation, and village roads, all will be improved to be better," Widodo said.
The renovation of Belawan Marine Village is part of the government's efforts to free residents from extreme poverty in the region, he added.
Besides area rearrangement, the central government will also construct a dam to address the recurrence of coastal flooding in the village, the President said.
"Later, a dam will be constructed. (The progress) is still in the tender process. After the tender process is complete, the construction will commence. Because the coastal flooding has occurred for decades without proper handling, we will start (the dam construction)," he added.
Minister of Public Works and Public Housing, Basuki Hadimuljono; Mayor of Medan, Bobby Nasution; and head of the National Population and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN), Hasto Wardoyo, accompanied the President to Belawan.
During the working visit to Medan, Widodo went to Petisah Market to distribute social aid to residents, reviewed palm oil research and met with palm farmers at Palm Oil Research Center (PPKS), and attended the 29th National Family Day commemoration at the city's Merdeka Square.
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Translator: Gilang Galiartha, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Suharto
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