Regional infrastructure: Giving Mentawai a facelift
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Bisnis Indonesia - Infrastruktur daerah: Merombak wajah Mentawai
10 July 2023
By: M. Nofi Hendra
Padang - Infrastructure construction in Mentawai Islands Regency plays a central role in removing the region’s status as the only underdeveloped and outermost region in West Sumatra Province. Hence, several efforts are carried out, including to construct healthcare and tourism supporting infrastructures.
Previously, West Pasaman Regency and South Solok Regency also held the same status. However, both have successfully removed their underdeveloped and outermost region status.
Hence, Mentawai Islands Regency Government will continuously accelerate infrastructure construction, which include roads, healthcare facilities, educational facilities, human resources, and other facilities.
It was revealed by Mentawai Islands Acting Regent Fernando J. Simanjuntak last weekend.
“The only underdeveloped region or regency remaining in West Sumatra is Mentawai. So, we are removing the underdeveloped status from Mentawai,” he said in his official statement on Friday (7/7).
According to him, several actions have been taken by Mentawai Islands Regency Government, such as constructing Trans-Mentawai Road, constructing bridges, improving human resources by building schools, and granting scholarships.
However, he admits that removing Mentawai’s status as an underdeveloped region cannot be achieved instantly, it needs a lengthy process.
He sees that accelerating the removal of the underdeveloped region status is a long-term investment so that Mentawai can be better in the future.
Fernando reckoned that healthcare and educational infrastructures were priorities that must be constructed.
He sees that, if both infrastructures have been constructed to be used by the people, they will increase the chance of Mentawai removing its underdeveloped region status.
Moreover, his agency has also built disaster evacuation facilities. Mentawai Islands Regency Government is also disseminating their plans that will be massively carried out.
“We will make Mentawai an advanced region, not an underdeveloped one,” he stated.
Previously, West Sumatra Deputy Governor Audy Jotnaldy said that there were several indicators that made Mentawai Islands Regency an underdeveloped region, including infrastructures.
According to him, if infrastructures such as roads and bridges there are adequate, the construction of other infrastructures will follow suit.
Hence, Audy promises to remove Mentawai’s underdeveloped region status by accelerating its infrastructures, accessibility, and regional income.
“Infrastructure construction in Mentawai must be continuously boosted as it is a tourism destination for international tourists. West Java Provincial Government will obviously support Mentawai,” he explained.
PAD source
Moreover, the nautical tourism sector in Mentawai Islands Regency is the largest contributor to the region’s regional real income (PAD).
The beauty of the region’s nautical tourism that includes beaches, surfing spots, diving spots, and fishing spots is nationally famous. Moreover, the region is also known for its surfing spots that have the second-best waves in the world after Hawaii in the United States of America.
Hence, Fernando is also encouraging the people in the region to make the region more beautiful and be aware of the success of the existing tourism locations.
“The awareness to create beauty that must arise at tourism locations includes the cleanliness problem. It must start with us so that the people are aware of tourism,” he explained.
Hence, he is asking the Tourism Agency, all regional government administrative organisations (OPDs), and the people to collectively realise a more optimum tourism management by optimally making tourism destinations more beautiful and cleaner.
For example, he mentioned the strategy that was implemented by Raja Ampat Regency Government in Southwest Papua Province.
According to him, tourism spots in Raja Ampat is on par with Mentawai. However, he added that the people in the region maintained its cleanliness, so Raja Ampat is more advanced.
With that strategy, he reckoned that a beach could be more beautiful if it was well-organised and tidy.
“So, the beach will attract domestic tourists to visit Mentawai,” he said.
