REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, GALELA -- President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has instructed to start new sea toll routes to boost interisland connectivity in the country.

Since last year, the government has started three sea toll routes, which are served regularly and routinely by ships, the president stated while simultaneously inaugurating five seaports located in East Indonesia, in a ceremony centered in Tobelo seaport, North Halmahera, here, Wednesday.

This year, new routes must be added, including the new one connecting to Tobelo seaport.

Indonesia is an archipelagic nation, with more than 17 thousand islands, he noted.

Therefore, interisland connectivity is crucial to unite Indonesia as a big nation, he affirmed.

"Two-third of Indonesian territory is water, and one-third is land. Our focus should be on water as we are an archipelago. In the past, the Majapahit and Sriwijaya kingdoms had gained eminence as they had focused on the seas," he pointed out.

The newly inaugurated seaports are Tobelo, Galela, Tutu Kembong, Wonreli, and Teor Isle.

In his inauguration speech, Jokowi also reiterated three priority areas for the accelerated implementation of development programs.

The three areas are deregulation aimed at simplifying licensing procedures, developing infrastructure, and improving the quality of human resources.

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