Eastern Indonesian Economy Must Be Managed Seriously

Jakarta, Nov 7 (Antara) - The eastern Indonesian economy should be managed seriously to realize the maritime toll road program to facilitate easier distribution of goods in the region, among other things, stated President Joko Widodo (Jokowi). "The economy in the eastern part of Indonesia must be managed seriously," the president stated while attending the Kompas CEO Forum here on Friday. The president emphasized that ample untapped opportunities exist in the eastern Indonesian region, but they were not well publicized. He pointed out that most of the existing freighters used in the transportation of goods were built in the 1970s, and since then, there have virtually been no reforms. President Jokowi also highlighted the issue of inequality in the prices of some commodities; for instance, the price of cement in Papua could be more than Rp1.5 million per bag whereas in other places, it is only Rp60 thousand per bag. Therefore, the head of state asserted that the maritime toll road program, to ease the distribution of goods and services, should be immediately realized. "I believe it will be implemented soon. No matter when it will be completed, the important thing is that it should be started quickly," he remarked. The president also stressed on the importance of developing infrastructure in the eastern region of Indonesia. During the 2014 presidential election campaign, President Jokowi had repeatedly expressed his commitment to transform Indonesia into a maritime axis.