Remarks of President of the Republic of Indonesia on the Occasion of Gathering with Infrastructure Enthusiasts in Commemoration of the 78th Public Works Day at Merdeka Palace, Central Jakarta, December 4, 2023

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim.

Assalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

Good morning, may prosperity be upon us all,

Om swastiastu,

Namo Buddhaya,

Greetings of virtue.

Honorable Minister of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) and all attending ministers, Chief of the Indonesian National Police, Attorney General, Head of the BPKP, all directors general, and partners of the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing; esteemed guests and invitees,

I didn’t know why in the video, all the comments were from musicians; Ahmad Albar, Ari Lasso, Padi, because the Minister of Public Works is indeed a drummer. So, if the comments are from musicians, then they are all musicians. I whispered earlier, why are all the comments from musicians? Then I remembered, oh yes, he is a drummer.

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

We know that since 2015, the infrastructure budget has nearly doubled, starting from there, and we have decided to embark on massive infrastructure development. A country as vast as Indonesia, with 17 thousand islands, requires infrastructure, including connectivity through roads, ports, airports, and more. Infrastructure for water supply, such as dams and irrigation, is also initiated. Additionally, infrastructure related to services like hospitals, schools, and public markets is constructed by the government, executed by the Ministry of PUPR. In the second period, we are undertaking the construction of the largest project, the Nusantara Capital (IKN).

Why do we prioritize infrastructure? Firstly, for the sake of logistic cost efficiency, which is crucial for our competitiveness and attracting investments. Investors won’t come if our infrastructure is poor. They can’t travel to an island without an airport, a seaport, or roads.

Thirdly, we aim to stimulate new economic growth points. New infrastructure will create new economic growth points, a crucial aspect.

Fourthly, this is for social and cultural connectivity. Infrastructure unites people. With airports, someone from Aceh can fly directly to Papua, from Papua to Java, from Java to Kalimantan and Sulawesi. It serves to unite. More importantly, looking at the infrastructure index, back in 2014, we were lagging. In the IMD Global Competitiveness Index for infrastructure, we were ranked 54, now we’re at 51. It’s an improvement, although not a significant leap. We’ve worked hard in infrastructure, but our Global Competitiveness Index is still at 51, up from 54. Progress is visible, with 42 completed dams and a potential addition of 15 or 17 more dams by 2024. Irrigation has been developed for 1.2 million hectares. As mentioned by Pak Minister of PUPR, we have 2,143 kilometers of toll roads, a significant leap for us.

However, comparing our toll roads to China’s, we have almost 3,000 kilometers (toll road length). How long is the toll road length in China, anyone knows? Pak Minister? 190,000 kilometers. Dams, we have nearly 300, South Korea has 20,000, and China has around 98,000. We still have a long way to go, more hard work is needed, although we’ve made a leap. In the past nine years, 5,700 kilometers of national roads have been built. Homes, 8.2 million from the one million homes per year program. Cross-border posts, whether in Motaain, Skouw, Entikong, and others, have all been built.

Additionally, we’ve built infrastructure for major events in our country. We renovated the Gelora Bung Karno stadium and surrounding areas for the 2018 Asian Games. The G20 Summit’s preparations were also largely undertaken by the Ministry of PUPR. The ASEAN Summit in Jakarta and the development of new tourist destinations, such as Labuan Bajo, Mandalika, and other places.

All of this is the result of your hard work. I just want to remind you that in planning, it should be more comprehensive. For example, when building a road, it’s not just about the road itself but should include drainage, landscaping, sidewalks, and the overall architectural aspect. Sometimes we see the budget and think it’s only for the road, but later the road deteriorates because there’s no drainage, which was not budgeted for. Our thinking should be comprehensive; roads, drainage, sidewalks, landscaping, all prepared together. If it’s just the road, people will end up on the sides saying, “Oh, there’s no sidewalk, let’s set up a stall here.” It becomes a sidewalk market immediately. To build sidewalks, drainage, there will be additional social costs later. This is why it needs to be a comprehensive package.

Secondly, in Labuan Bajo, for example, I see a good road, good sidewalks, and some trees planted. This is a step forward, but the concrete is still visible. Cement gives a hard impression, and it should be softened withgood landscaping. Just a little critique.

I feel the speed is excellent. The Ministry of PUPR is usually the leader in budget realization. In January, work has already started, thanks to pre-contracts. This is what I observe. Compared to other ministries, you always lead, and that’s good. Work begins in January. This is something I have emphasized to other ministries to emulate from the Ministry of PUPR.

That’s what I wanted to convey on this auspicious occasion. Happy 78th Public Works Day. Long live PUPR.

Thank you.

Wassalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.

(AS/LW)