TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The government is set to build 14 roads in Papua and West Papua, one of Indonesia's less developed and most isolated provinces. The project is based on Presidential Regulation No. 40/2013. The Ministry of Defense said it will deploy The National Army's Combat Engineers Battalion to construct 1,520 kilometers of new roads.
The total funds required for the project is estimated to reach Rp425 billion (US$38.67 million). The House of Representatives (DPR) is currently in the process of discussing the massive infrastructure project's budget.
Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro asserted that the troops are set to be deployed, gearing up to open Papua's harsh terrain to construct the roads.
WAYAN AGUS PURNOMO