REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The government, through the Public Works and Public Housing Ministry (PUPR), is focusing on infrastructure development in border areas.

"The PUPR has three points in focusing its attention on developing infrastructure in the border regions," Hermanto Dardak, the head of the regional infrastructure development of the PUPR, said in a written statement made available to Antara Saturday.

The three points, he said, are to develop growth centers in the border areas, construct roads that will link them and to build cross border cities. These three points of development are expected to significantly galvanize economic activities and improve the local people's living standard.

The challenge that will be resolved in carrying out the three-point development programme is to remove disparities which are still high among regions, particularly between border areas in Indonesian western regions and those in the eastern ones.

Earlier, Coordinating Minister for Political, Law and Security Affairs Tedjo Edhy Purdijatno hailed the efforts of the Great Indonesia Creation House (PKIH) to develop in the border areas because it was in line with the programs of the Office of the Coordinating Minister for Political, Law and Security Affairs other programs of relevant ministries.

"There are 27 ministries and government agencies which hold the budget to handle the development of the border regions but up to the programs have yet to be effective, despite the fact that the National Agency for Border Area Management (BNPP) has been established under the auspices of Coordinating Minister for Political, Law and Security Affairs," Minister Purdijatno said after receiving the chairman of the RKIH, Kris Budhihardjo on Friday (May 8).

Meanwhile, Minister for Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration Marwan Jafar said that his ministry would focus its transmigration program on placing transmigrants in the border areas.

"We have the target to resettle four million transmigrants this year," Minister Jafar said early this month (May 5).

The transmigrants will be resettled in 144 transmigration locations in the border areas.

Recently President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) summoned Minister Marwan Jafar to discuss transmigration programs in border areas.

"We had a cordial meeting to discuss the ministry’s programs regarding villages, border areas, and reinforcement of transmigration programs," the minister remarked after meeting the president at the State Palace.

Jokowi expressed concern over the need to focus on transmigration development in the border areas, which aims to accelerate economic growth in border areas, he noted.

The minister expressed optimism that the transmigration programs in the border areas can be implemented soon.

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