Academics Appreciate Infrastructure Development in President Jokowi’s Era Reaching Remote Areas
Infrastructure development in the era of President Joko Widodo has received appreciation from various groups, including academics.
Professor of the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Indonesia (FEB UI), Telisa Aulia Falianty, assessed that the infrastructure built over the past decade has facilitated connectivity, basic services, and food distribution in Indonesia. This development provides a significant multiplier effect for the economy and society, especially in the Underdeveloped, Frontier, and Outermost (3T) regions.
“This is also what needs to be appreciated from President Joko Widodo’s government. Building the outermost regions certainly has costs in terms of visibility of the economy, it is not necessarily visible, but socially the impact will continue to reduce inequality for people in the 3T areas. There are social values that can later support its economic value,” said Telisa.
Furthermore, Telisa assessed that this infrastructure development is in line with Nawacita which emphasizes the development of Indonesia from the periphery by strengthening regions and villages within the framework of a unitary state.
Telisa added that over the course of a decade, new airport networks have been successfully expanded, airport rehabilitation and development has been carried out, and pioneering air transportation has been organized to support connectivity.
“He also emphasized the importance of infrastructure in the 3T areas. Well, this is what we need to appreciate for the past 10 years,” he added.
In a separate location, Political Observer from the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Wasisto Raharjo Jati, stated that even infrastructure development is one of the main factors in the high level of public satisfaction with the performance of the Jokowi government.
“I think the massive and evenly distributed legacy infrastructure in various regions is one of the keys to public satisfaction with the current government,” explained Wasisto.
He assessed that ongoing development in various regions would maintain high levels of public satisfaction with President Jokowi’s government until the end of his term.
“I think so,” he concluded.
