"Our big dream is to connect the tip of Aceh to Lampung. The hope is that new economic growth can emerge in the areas that (the toll road) passed by," said Thohir in a statement issued in Jakarta on Monday.
With the BUMN serving as a third nation's economic power, from the beginning, Thohir has focused on translating President Joko Widodo's directive on improving infrastructure, such as toll roads on Java island and outside Java, such as the Trans Sumatra Toll Road (JTTS).
According to Thohir, infrastructure development is important to help Indonesia compete with other countries.
“The President is very concerned about this. If we look at it, Indonesia's logistics cost is still quite high, reaching 23 percent or higher than the world's average of 13 percent," he pointed out.
Thohir elaborated that the progress seen in infrastructure development has been the result of the synergy of many parties, including the Ministry of Public Works and Housing (PUPR). He said he was communicating intensively with the Minister of PUPR, Basuki Hadimuljono, in overseeing the construction progress of the Trans Sumatra Toll Road.
Earlier, PT Hutama Karya has said it was targeting to complete five sections of the Trans Sumatra Toll Road this year: Simpang Indralaya-Muara Enim, Indrapura-Kisaran, Binjai-Langsa, Sigli-Banda Aceh, and Pekanbaru-Padang.
Director of operation III at Hutama Karya, Koentjoro, said that the construction progress of the entire toll road segments has been quite significant, reaching an average of over 50 percent.
So far, Hutama Karya has built around 1,064 kilometers of the Trans Sumatra Toll Road with the constructed toll road measuring 465 kilometers and the operational toll road 599 kilometers.
The existence of the Trans Sumatra Toll Road is expected to spur macro and micro economic growth, in accordance with the government's mission to support equitable economic growth.
Hutama Karya is seeking to accelerate the completion of the toll road segments by using technology and digitizing the construction to ensure the right quality and meet the deadline.
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Translator: Cindy Frishanti Octavia
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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