Jakarta (ANTARA) - The community-based drinking water and sanitation provision program (Pamsimas) has improved people's access to safe drinking water, Secretary General of the Public Works and Public Housing Ministry Mohammad Zainal Fatah has said.

"I feel delighted because the Pamsimas program has provided benefits for the community in the form of easy access to drinking water and the availability of better water quality," he remarked at the Pamsimas wrap-up meeting themed "Water Belongs to Us" that was held here on Monday.

Indonesia is committed to encouraging the realization of Sustainable Development Goal 6, namely ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all, through the provision of adequate and safe drinking water and sanitation, he said.

Therefore, the 2020–2024 Strategic Plan of the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing states that the goal of housing infrastructure development is to increase the fulfillment of decent and safe housing infrastructure with a target of 100 percent access to safe drinking water and 90 percent access to sanitation.

He noted that amidst the challenges to economic recovery, the government is striving to continue to provide access to drinking water and sanitation services that are in line with providing employment opportunities and maintaining people's purchasing power.

The Pamsimas program, which has been running since 2008, has succeeded in providing access to drinking water to 24.5 million people in 35,928 villages in 408 districts across the country. However, the management of drinking water services by the community still needs to be improved.

He expressed the hope that cooperation with all stakeholders would continue so that villages that have not got drinking water services can have access to the services soon.

"The number will continue to increase in line with the ongoing implementation of Pamsimas activities," he affirmed.

The implementation of Pamsimas requires support, commitment, cooperation, and good collaboration from relevant stakeholders at the national, provincial, district, city, and village levels, the secretary general remarked.

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Translator: Adimas Raditya, Raka Adji
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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