"I hope will contribute to the realization of ASEAN`s target."Bangkok (ANTARA News) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in his address to the World Economic Forum on East Asia held here on Thursday stated Indonesia is continuously improving its domestic connectivity to help achieve ASEAN`s connectivity target by 2015.
"We have master plan to improve the domestic connectivity which I hope will contribute to the realization of ASEAN`s target for regional connectivity in 2015," said the president.
He expressed optimism that Indonesia will be able to improve its domestic connectivity as the country has enough human and natural resources, good economic growth and people`s growing purchasing power.
Indonesia last year launched a Master Plan for Acceleration and Expansion of Economic Development (MP3EI) whose implementation will last until 2025. Up to 2012, the government has worked on 39 projects including the expansion of Bali`s Ngurah Rai airport at a cost of Rp1.2 trillion, construction of 9,981 km of Sumatra`s Fibre Optic Nusantara Super Highway Ring Rp87.4 billion.
Also the Java-Kalimantan-Sulawesi-Denpasar-Mataram fibre optic project Rp86 billion, the Mataram-Kupang Cable System Rp6.8 trillion, Floating Storage and gas project Unit in West Java Rp500 billion, construction of two units of 3.500 DWT tanker ships in Surabaya and one unit in Lampung Rp109.49 billion.
The MP3EI projects also cover alumina chemical grade project in West Kalimantan (US$450 million), Sei Mangkei industrial estate in North Sumatra (Rp3,68 trillion), integrated steel in Banten (Rp26 trillion), steel project in South Kalimantan (Rp1.2 trillion), 6.000 DWT tanker ship in Jakarta (Rp46.1 million), 17.500 DWT tanker ship, phase I, (Rp245.1 million) and phase II (Rp294.1 billion).
Meanwhile, Lao Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong who also attended the forum said his country is ready to support ASEAN`s target of connectivity by 2015.
"We are aware of the importance of ASEAN connectivity to eradicate poverty in our country. Currently, we have completed the construction of three Mekong bridges in our country and we have started the construction of railway link connecting to Thailand. We are making domestic policies that will turn this country from closed nation to be the country that will connect ASEAN region," he said.
Earlier, Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra in her opening address to the forum emphasized the need for ASEAN member countries and their partner countries to complete several connectivity-related projects, such as the Mekong River project, train link connecting Singapore to Kunming (southwest China), high speed railway connecting Thailand, Laos and southern China.
"However, we must ensure that the connectivity project will not be misused by irresponsible people to commit crimes such as drug and human trafficking," she added.
(Uu.A051/KR-BSR/S012)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
