President Jokowi Signs Presidential Instruction on Economic Development Acceleration of State Borders

In a bid to speed up economic development of border areas, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has signed Presidential Instruction Number 1 of 2021 on Acceleration of Economic Development of Aruk, Motaain, and Skouw State Border Areas.

Under the Instruction, President Jokowi ordered Minister of Industry, Minister of Trade, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Minister of Public Works and Public Housing, Minister of Transportation, Minister of Communication and Informatics, Minister of Agriculture, Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Minister of Village, Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration, Minister of Cooperatives and Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises to carry on and complete programs aimed at speeding up economic development in the border areas.

In total, there are 60 programs; 21 of which to be implemented in Aruk Border Areas, West Kalimantan; 20 programs in Motaain Border Areas, East Nusa Tenggara; and 19 programs in Skouw Border Areas, Papua.

Based on the Instruction, the President also gives specific assignments to other ministers, heads of institutions, and regional heads such as:

1. Coordinating Minister of Economic Affairs, to monitor the development, to conduct debottlenecking process, and to report the implementation of the Presidential Instruction twice a year;
2. Minister of Home Affairs, to coordinate formulation of economic development programs in Aruk, Motaain, and Skouw, and integrate it in the policy of drawing up Regional Budget, Regional Medium-term Development Plan, and Working Plan of Regional Governments;
3. Minister of Foreign Affairs, to coordinate, boost, and facilitate enhancement in foreign cooperations at bilateral, regional, and multilateral levels;
4. Minister of Finance, to allocate budget to the related ministries/institutions for the implementation of this Instruction by taking into account budget availability based on provisions of laws and regulations;
5. Minister of Public Works and Public Housing, to build infrastructures for water resources, develop national and regional roads, provide access road to the borders, and provide clean water facilities in the borders;
6. Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/ Head of the National Land Agency, to speed up the issuance of permit of space utilization, and land acquisition to speed up the development of Aruk, Motaain, and Skouw border areas;
7. Minister of Environment and Forestry, to accelerate the completion of land disputes in that borders;
8. Minister of National Development Planning/ Head of National Development Planning Agency, to stipulate objectives, targets, policies, and strategies in speeding up the economic development of Aruk, Motaain, and Skouw in the National Medium-term Development Plan (RPJMN) and Government Working Plan (RKP), as well as to formulate and intensify programs, projects, locations, and outputs of the economic development in that border areas;
9. Minister of State-owned Enterprises, to promote the role of state-owned enterprises in speeding up the economic development of Aruk, Motaain, and Skouw border areas;
10. Cabinet Secretary, to monitor the implementation of this Presidential Instruction;
11. Head of National Agency for Border Management, to coordinate the implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the 60 programs;
12. Governor of West Kalimantan, Governor of East Nusa Tenggara, and Governor of Papua, to facilitate plots of land to be developed, to accelerate permit process, and allocate budget to implement related programs;
13. Regent of Sambas, Regent of Belu, and Mayor of Jayapura, to provide plots of land to be developed, to accelerate permit process, and allocate budget to implement related programs.

“Ministries/Institutions must complete the programs in speeding up the economic development of Aruk, Motaain, and Skouw border areas as referred to in this Presidential Instruction and its appendix no later than 2 (two) years after the issuance of this Instruction,” Third dictum of the Presidential Instruction reads.

All budget required for the implementation of this Presidential Instruction will be taken from the State Budget, Regional Budget, and other non-binding sources based on provisions of laws and regulations.

The aforementioned officials must follow the Presidential Instruction with full responsibility. (UN) (RAS/LW)