BOLAANG MONGONDOW – President Joko Widodo, accompanied by Minister of Public Works and Housing Basuki Hadimuljono, Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi, Minister of State-Owned Enterprises Erick Thohir, Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, Governor of North Sulawesi Olly Dondokambey, and Acting Regent of Bolaang Mongondow Limi Mokodompit, inaugurated the repair of 9 roads implemented through the Regional Road Presidential Instruction (IJD) in North Sulawesi Province.
The inauguration was held on the Pinogaluman-Dumoga section in Bolaang Mongondow Regency, North Sulawesi Province, not far from the Lolak Dam site on Friday (23/2).
President Jokowi said that through the Presidential Instruction on Regional Roads (IJD) in 2023 in North Sulawesi Province with a budget of Rp183 billion, 59 km of roads have been upgraded.
“In 2024, another budget will be given so that all roads in North Sulawesi Province will be better,” he said.
Director of Road and Bridge Preservation Region II Budiamin said that the implementation of IJD in North Sulawesi is 59.4 km spread across four districts.
“First, in the Bolmong Regency, as many as 4 sections with a length of 18.6 km with a budget of Rp90.6 billion,” he said.
Furthermore, said Budiamin, the implementation of IJD is in Minahasa Regency as many as 2 sections with a length of 5.5 km with a budget of Rp28 billion.
“There are also 2 sections of 32 km in Siau Tagulandang Biaro (Sitaro) Regency with a budget of Rp44.5 billion. And finally in South Minahasa Regency as much as 1 section (3.4 km) with an allocation of Rp20.6 billion,” he said.
The main purpose of implementing IJD in South Sulawesi is to increase connectivity and improve the stability of regional roads to facilitate logistics flow and tourist access.
Kadaria Papupungan, a resident of Lolak District, Bolmong Regency, expressed her gratitude for the IJD programme in her area.
“Before it was repaired, it was very difficult for residents here to get around, especially if someone was sick and needed treatment. It was also difficult for children to get to and from school,” she said.
The implementation of IJD refers to Presidential Instruction (Inpres) Number 1 of 2023 concerning the Acceleration of Regional Road Connectivity Improvement.
In FY 2023, the Ministry of Public Works and Housing through the Directorate General of Highways has allocated a budget of Rp14.6 trillion nationally for the handling of 2873 km of regional roads throughout the country.
Also accompanying the Minister of Public Works and Housing were Director General of Highways Hedy Rahadian, Director of Road and Bridge Preservation Region II Budiamin, Expert Staff of the Minister of Public Works and Housing for Technology, Industry and Environment Endra S. Atmawidjaja, and Head of the North Sulawesi National Road Implementation Centre (BPJN) Hendro Satrio.
