He made the statement while briefing regional heads during a retreat at the Military Academy in Magelang, Central Java, on Thursday.
According to Hanggodo, infrastructure development would not only help meet the basic needs of the community but also contribute to a region's competitiveness.
"Infrastructure development is not only to meet basic needs but also to play a part in improving competitiveness and achieving equal development across Indonesia," he said.
He added that proper infrastructure can have an impact on the social and economic development of the community. Thus, regional development can be carried out optimally by taking into account the characteristics of each region.
"This includes strengthening the thematic functions of cities. All of this is primarily aimed at how to then improve the well-being of the community," he said.
Besides highlighting the importance of equitable development, he also listed several challenges to infrastructure development. One of them is Indonesia's competitiveness index, which still lags behind that of neighboring countries.
Another challenge is the high population growth and urbanization, which has widened the gap between cities and villages. Therefore, he said he hopes that regional heads can address these problems with the help of proper planning.
On the same occasion, Minister of Transportation Dudy Purwagandhi emphasized the importance of synergy between local and central governments in building an effective and efficient transportation system.
"Synergy between the central and local governments is a key factor for realizing an effective, efficient, safe, secure, and sustainable transportation system," he stated.
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Translator: Narda, Kenzu
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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