Central Lampung (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) has set December of 2023 as the month for completion of the implementation of Presidential Instruction No. 3 of 2023 related to regional road repairs.

"All works related to the instruction are projected to be completed by December this year," PUPR Ministry's Director General of Bina Marga, Hedy Rahadian, remarked in Central Lampung District, Lampung Province, on Friday.

Rahadian noted that implementation of the instruction has been going as expected.

"A budget totaling Rp14.7 trillion (US$922.5 million) has been allocated for executing the regional road instruction. Everything is on track," he noted.

According to the official, the dedicated budget is being used to work on regional road projects in almost all provinces of Indonesia, excluding Jakarta and Central Kalimantan.

He explained that the PUPR Ministry had set the target of achieving 30-percent completion of the works by July, 60 percent by August, and 100 percent by the end of the year.

"The presidential instruction mandates the handling of as many as 3,140 regional roads, both at the provincial and district levels," he pointed out.

Furthermore, he explained that implementation of the instruction was aimed at realizing equitable development of infrastructure in all regions of Indonesia.

"Hence, the presidential instruction was designed with the aim of providing easier access to the road network system for regions, especially those hosting people's plantations and small industries, like Lampung. It is expected that equitable infrastructure development will manifest," he elaborated.

He then expressed belief that repairs of infrastructure would enhance connectivity between one region and another and bolster the competitiveness of logistical costs.

"Connectivity is important. These repairs can connect regions. The costs of logistics would become more competitive if all regions were properly interconnected," he remarked.

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Translator: Ruth Intan, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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