By: Ismail )*
The government continues to accelerate the planned transfer of the State Capital. In addition to the positive impacts that will be created, the acceleration of the transfer of the National Capital is the main step to realize national progress.
The new capital development discourse in the province of Central Kalimantan has received a lot of support. The people are increasingly aware of this effort as a form of endeavor to advance Indonesia. No doubt, Jakarta, which in fact has been the capital of this country for hundreds of years, has overloaded. This overloaded load causes a number of fairly complex problems. Like, social inequality, high unemployment while increasing urbanization. This is influenced by the suggestion that Jakarta is able to change one’s destiny.
Yet as we know, this job field requires human resources or skills to be able to be competent. Another problem that arises is the presumption that Jawasentris also has an enviable effect on other provinces. If the capital is moved, the hope will be able to equalize national development.
Previously, support for the acceleration of development was stated by PT Jasa Marga (Persero) Tbk. Related to the plan to relocate the State Capital from DKI Jakarta to the area of two regencies in East Kalimantan Province, Kutai Kartanegara and North Penajam Paser.
Jasa marga said that if one of the toll roads managed by Jasa Marga’s subsidiary, Balikpapan-Samarinda Toll Road, will pass through Samboja District, Kutai Kartanegara, which until early September 2019 was almost 100 percent complete.
Meanwhile, during his visit, the Head of the Toll Road Regulatory Agency (BPJT) of the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Danang Parikesit stated that this toll road could be used immediately around the end of October 2019.
He claimed that until now the construction progress has reached 97 percent. He is optimistic that Section II to Section IV Palaran will be able to operate functionally at the end of this October. Meanwhile, Sections V and I, which constitute Government construction support, still have some work that must be pursued and targeted to operate by the end of 2019.
This toll road with a total investment of Rp.9.9 trillion is one of the mega National Strategic Projects (PSN), where out of a total of five toll road sections, the Government has provided construction support in Section V and Section I with a total length of up to 33,115 Km which aims to increase the financial feasibility of the toll road.
Meanwhile, specifically for Sections II through Sections IV, which are suspected to be 66.235 Km long, the construction was reported to use funds from the Toll Road Business Entity (BUJT), namely PT Jasamarga Balikpapan Samarinda (JBS).
On the other hand, President Director of Jasa Marga Desi Arryani who also accompanied Danang, highlighted the acceleration of completion of the Balikpapan-Samarinda Toll Road since the initial toll road on the island of Kalimantan is certain to be the forerunner to other infrastructure development in order to develop an integrated economic zone.
Desi explained if this toll road was integrated directly with Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman International Airport, Sepinggan, about 11 Km from Balikpapan. He added, it can also be projected that this toll road will get a traffic generation because it will later play the role of connecting the nation’s capital with two other major regions, namely Balikpapan and Samarinda.
Similar support came from the President Director of PT JBS STH Saragi. Which optimistically states that it will be able to meet the target number of vehicles that cross the Balikpapan-Samarinda Toll Road per day.
It is expected that the completion of the Balikpapan-Samarinda toll road can be a basic means of developing a new national capital, and is able to support the acceleration of the distribution of goods and services between the two cities. Namely, can summarize the time up to 75 percent. Where previously the non-toll road trip reached 3 to 4 hours.
The acceleration of development is considered by many to be a concrete manifestation of the realization of the new capital relocation. Moreover, the opportunity for even distribution of development, such as in the frontier areas of the border, disadvantaged areas, and the outer regions of East Kalimantan will be increasingly wide open. Including in terms of human resource development which will be superior, economic progress, increasing investment climate and a number of other equal distribution sectors that require development. Thus let us fully support the government’s efforts in this acceleration process, so that the start of the new Indonesia will soon be followed.
)* The writer is a social political observer