By: Iboy Sandi *)
Jakarta – CIDISS. The Indonesian government being intensively boost infrastructure development in all regions of Indonesia, ranging from road construction, transportation, and other infrastructure. As the construction of the Trans Sumatra Highway to Line Railways in Papua and Sulawesi. Which is common knowledge that the infrastructure development requires not a short time, but certainly beneficial for the long term for the economy and society.
President Jokowi himself has repeatedly said that the development of infrastructure is one of the priorities in the government’s development plans because it generates a multiplier effect. No exception to the development and strengthening of infrastructure in the border regions and remote islands, such as in Kalimantan, Papua and East Nusa Tenggara.
The Government through the Ministry of Rural, Rural Development and Transmigration will accelerate the pace of growth in border areas during this lag to be aligned on the transmigration program, in accordance with the directives of the President Jokowi to strengthen the state of the edges or borders.
Good infrastructure development will enhance the credibility of the government, so that it will increase investors’ confidence in investing, especially outside of Java. With the confidence of investors, there will be money or capital flows into Indonesia, so as to stimulate economic growth, especially in border areas. This is certainly expected to be directly proportional to the welfare of Indonesian society. So as to create equitable economic and social welfare in every region of the NKRI.
Moreover, when it comes to strengthening the border region, is not only limited to infrastructure development alone. In addition to infrastructure such as roads and other installations in order to improve economic equality and welfare, education became one of the elements that are also highly considered by the government as an effort to educate the nation’s children. With the improvement of educational institutions in the border, is expected to maintain the existence of Indonesian-ness itself.
Planting understanding of patriotism, friendly attitude, polite, always uphold the dignity and human dignity through the educational institutions to be important for the border regions adjacent to the neighboring area. This is because the border regions into the storefront outermost Indonesia should be a reflection of the Indonesian nation. For the outermost regions, it should have elements that represent Indonesia in general.
With the understanding or a common awareness of the importance of synergy between local government and central government, as well as an understanding of the importance of the development of the infrastructure and installation of other support in order to strengthen in the border area, will have an impact on the smooth development projects in the field, which in turn will improve the welfare and educate the community on the area itself. The paradigm of development in the border areas had to be changed, the border area should be a door leading Unitary Republic of Indonesia (The NKRI), by empowering people at the border, thus indirectly it will also strengthen the NKRI. [IS]
*) CIDISS Contributor
