Interregional connectivity: Regional roads need intervention
This article has been translated by PwC Indonesia as part of our Indonesia Infrastructure News Service. PwC Indonesia has not checked the accuracy of, and accepts no responsibility for the content.
Bisnis Indonesia - Konektivitas antarwilayah: Jalan daerah butuh intervensi
6 July 2023
By: Afiffah R. Nurdifa & Stefanus Arief Setiaji
Jakarta - The condition of regional roads is still being highlighted by House of Representatives (DPR) Commission V. The condition of provincial and regency/local roads is still far below national roads.
The Public Works and Housing (PUPR) Ministry is asked to hold an intervention so that the condition of roads in various regencies, cities, and provinces can match national roads to support interregional connectivity and strengthen the veins of the public’s economy.
DPR Commission V Chairperson Lasarus said that the condition of roads in regencies and provinces that are adequate only reached around 40%-60%. The central government needs to be directly involved to improve road quality in regions.
According to him, Presidential Instruction Number 3/2023 on Acceleration in the Improvement of the Connectivity of Regional Roads, which is a revision of Law Number 2/2022 on Roads, needs to be revised.
He said that the central government was still reluctant about relinquishing their authority on regional roads so that they can be transferred to the central government.
“I am asking the PUPR Ministry to hold a study. If revising the law is not enough, we will affirm the articles. We will affirm the authority of the central government regarding regional roads,” he said at the hearing with Highways Directorate General of the PUPR Ministry quoted on Wednesday (5/7).
Lasarus said that improving road quality in regions needed various support, including political support from the central government.
Based on the data from the PUPR Ministry in their 2020-2024 Strategic Plan, there is an imbalance between national roads and regional roads.
National roads cover 8% of the existing network with 92% in good condition. Meanwhile, regional roads cover 92% of the existing road network with 68.49% of provincial roads in good condition and 58.8% of regency/local roads in good condition.
In the report, the PUPR Ministry also noted that the existing road network was not sufficient to support regional development to support economic growth and equitable development.
The lack of roads on logistics routes can be seen from travel time on main routes that reaches 2.3 hours per 100 km. The availability of toll roads on main logistics routes is still limited to the northern coast highway (Pantura) in Java.
The availability of roads to support industrial estate development and tourism is also limited. There are several transportation nodes, such as airports, ports, and terminals, that do not have adequate road access.
The availability of roads in outermost, remote, and underdeveloped regions is also inadequate to support the people’s accessibility.
Construction priority
Meanwhile, Highways Director General of the PUPR Ministry Hedy Rahadian stated that the government was continuously carrying out the construction of roads and bridges to improve interregional connectivity and improve the people’s economy.
In fiscal year 2023, the physical realisation of the five super-priority tourism destinations, namely Lake Toba, Borobudur, Mandalika, Labuan Bajo, and Likupang has reached 25.94%. Meanwhile, the financial realisation has reached 24.66% or Rp233.99 billion from the budget ceiling that reaches Rp948.84 billion.
Regarding the labour-intensive programme, Rp10.09 trillion has been realised to absorb 38,696 workers from the target of 80,000 workers.
“In fiscal year 2023, Highways Directorate General has completed the construction of Nunpo-Inbate-Napan border road in NTT (East Nusa Tenggara) and Jalan Long Bagun-Tering 1 in East Kalimantan. Then, there are also Jalan Prigi-Klatak-Brumbun [in East Java] and Balige By Pass [in Lake Toba]. Kretek 2 Bridge in Yogyakarta and Tukad Bindu Bridge in Bali have also been completed,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the ongoing projects include the southern coast highway (Pansela) in East Java, access and border roads for cross-border posts in West Kalimantan and Riau Islands, Bentang Panjang Bridge in West Kalimantan, as well as flyovers in East Java and South Sumatra.
The Highways Directorate General reported that the absorption of the budget ceiling as of July 2023 was still hindered even though the physical progress has surpassed the target set for the first half of 2023.
The 2023 Budget Implementation Plan (DIPA) is allocated Rp56.57 trillion with an additional budget of Rp7.26 trillion.
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