North Kalimantan Will Catch Up with Other Provinces: President Jokowi

Governor of North Kalimantan Irianto Lambrie attends a limited meeting led by President Jokowi on Tuesday (21/3), at the Presidential Office, Jakarta

Although North Kalimantan is the youngest province of Indonesia, the Province which is part of Indonesia’s veranda that directly borders with neighboring Malaysia, is expected to catch up with the economy in other provinces in Kalimantan Islands.

“North Kalimantan Province has quite abundant potentials that must be used for the greatest benefit of all people,” President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo said in his introductory remarks at a Limited Meeting on the Evaluation on Implementation of National Strategic Projects and Priority Programs in North Kalimantan Province on Tuesday (21/3), at the Presidential Office, Jakarta.

According to the President, there are several things to be improved in developing North Kalimantan. For example, the economic growth in that Province is only 3.75 percent.

The growth was indeed influenced by a fluctuation of commodity prices, particularly mining commodity prices in the global market.

In vocation, mining sector also contributed to 24.65 percent of the economy in North Kalimantan, followed by agriculture sector with 18.09 percent.

The President went on to say that when mining commodity prices fall, agriculture sector has become the main source of the economic growth, even higher than construction and trade sectors.

For that reason, President Jokowi asked all to use this momentum to rearrange priority sectors in North Kalimantan Province so that the sectors can become an engine of quality economic growth in the future, which will bring positive impact on the people’s prosperity in North Kalimantan.

“I remind you all to continue promoting the quality economic growth by implementing downstream industry in North Kalimantan, developing mining processing industries, and connecting the development of agriculture and plantation sectors with processing industries in order to create added value to the region,” President Jokowi added.

To accelerate the economic growth and equality in North Kalimantan, the President reminded all of the importance of promoting connectivity, as well as infrastructures for clean water and electricity.

Regarding connectivity, the President wants the revitalization of Juwata Airport in Tarakan and Sebatik Airport to be completed immediately.

While on the matter concerning clean water, President Jokowi admitted that based on the data he has received, approximately 73 percent of North Kalimantan population do not have access to clean water. There are three regencies which experience worse clean water crisis, among others Nunukan, Malinau, dan Tanah Tidung. “I instruct (the regional government) to pay attention to these regencies,” the President firmly said.

The President also instructed that the infrastructure development for electricity can be conducted immediately so the people in North Kalimantan, particularly those who have domestic industries can get access to electricity, sufficient for their domestic industries.

Also attending the limited meeting were Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Wiranto, Coordinating Minister for the Economy Darmin Nasution, Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Puan Maharani, Minister of State Secretary Pratikno, Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung, Presidential Chief of Staff Teten Masduki, Minister of Home Affairs Tjahjo Kumolo, Minister of Health Nila F. Moeloek, Minister of Research, Technology, and Higher Education Mohamad Nasir, Minister of Communication and Informatics Rudiantara, Minister of Agrarian and Spatial Planning/Head of National Land Agency Sofyan Djalil, Minister of National Development Planning (PPN)/Head of National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) Bambang Brodjonegoro, Minister of Industry Airlangga Hartarto, Minister of Public Works and Public Housing Basuki Hadimuljono, Minister of Transportation Budi K. Sumadi, and Governor of North Kalimantan Irianto Lambrie.(DNA/SM/FID/JAY/ES)(RA/YM/Naster)