Padang, The Indonesia Post – The Governor of West Sumatra Mahyeldi Ansharullah said President Joko Widodo wanted the construction of the toll road that connects the City of Padang to Pekanbaru to be completed quickly and this is being followed up together.
“The president wants us to speed up the settlement and not just theorize,” he said in response to President Joko Widodo’s video when he inaugurated the Bangkinang Toll Road in Padang, Friday.
He said that his party had taken fast steps in the construction of the toll road and that construction had already started in Sicincin.
“The problem now is that in Limapuluh Kota Regency there is one plot of land out of the three remaining parcels that have not been completed,” he said.
He said he had asked the Regent of Limapuluh Kota to complete the land acquisition so that this national development project could run.
“All of us in the provinces and district cities agree to continue this development,” he said.
Previously, the Chairman of the West Sumatra DPRD, Supardi, said that the slow progress of the Padang Pariaman to Pekanbaru toll road was the responsibility of the Governor of West Sumatra as an extension of the central government in this area.
“The toll road is a national strategic project which is a program from the president. Now the problem with the slow construction of the toll road is land acquisition,” he said.
According to him, the issue of land acquisition that is still not free is the responsibility of the governor, while the regents and mayors are only executors.
“The governor made the assignment for land acquisition without asking the DPRD for approval. We DPRD only supervise the steps taken by the governor,” he said.
He emphasized that the West Sumatra DPRD would certainly encourage this project to go according to plan because this toll road is vital in developing West Sumatra’s economy. According to him, West Sumatra will be even more left behind if the construction of this toll road is not completed because smooth road access will turn the wheels of the economy.
West Sumatra has agricultural, plantation and livestock products that can be brought to other provinces and will be smoother with toll roads because distribution using land routes will be more effective
“I believe we will concentrate on the toll road problem. So far, we have not focused on completing the toll road,” he said.
Previously, President Joko Widodo could not confirm when the toll road from Pekanbaru to Padang Pariaman would be completed when he inaugurated the Bangkinang Toll Road on Wednesday (4/1).
The President reminded that the Pekanbaru-Bangkinang Toll Road is connected to the Pekanbaru Outer Ring Road. “So that Dumai-Pekanbaru-Bangkinang will continue towards Padang. When will it finish? I can’t say, because it’s still long,” said President Jokowi. (mhn/bbs)
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