President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo gets ready to inspect the progress of the trans-Papua road project by motorbike in Wamena on May 10. (Courtesy/State Palace)

Jokowi inspects progress of trans-Papua road project

The Jakarta Post

Asia News Network

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and his entourage visited Wamena, Papua, on the last day of his working visit to the area on Wednesday, to inspect the progress of the trans-Papua road project.

Jokowi inspected the development of the Wamena-Mamugu 1 section road by motorbike. The inspected road is part of the 4,300-km project.

“Imagine how difficult it was for the builders [of the road],” he told reporters after the inspection on Wednesday.

Jokowi said the Indonesia Military (TNI) was cooperating with the Public Works and Public Housing Ministry to finish the project by 2019.

“In the beginning [the project] was carried out by the TNI, before the ministry joined in to get it done faster,” said Jokowi.

Jokowi was accompanied by TNI commander Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo, Public Works and Public Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono and Army chief of staff Gen. Mulyono during the inspection.

Public Works and Public Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono has earlier said the development of the 4,300-kilometer trans-Papua road project in Papua and West Papua provinces is expected to be completed next year,.

“The construction has seen significant progress,” Basuki said in Jakarta, as reported by tempo.co on Tuesday.

He said 3,850 km of the total 4,300-km road had been constructed, while the remaining section would be developed this year and next year.

Similarly, the ministry had also constructed 884 km of a 1,086-km road project near the border between Papua and Papua New Guinea, he said.

When the construction of the trans-Papua road is finished, it will accelerate development in the provinces because many areas that used to be isolated will be connected to economic centers.

Citing an example, he said the trans-Papua road section from Mamugu-Kenyam-Haberba-Wamena would result in a significant decline in prices of basic commodities and construction materials, particularly cement.

“People have started to benefit from the construction of the trans-Papua road and border road. People who in the past had to travel on foot can use vehicles,” he added.

The government has allocated Rp 7.61 trillion (US$570.75 million) for the construction of infrastructure in the provinces, as well as a Rp 2.18 trillion special allocation fund.

Apart from roads, the ministry is also developing housing and clean water projects.