TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo bluntly revealed his reason for inspecting damaged roads in Lampung Province today, May 5, 2023. He emphasized that road infrastructure plays a crucial role in reducing logistics costs, which will affect commodity prices in the market and the inflation rate.

“We monitor inflation, monitor prices, but we also want to monitor infrastructure, especially roads, because this is key. Logistics costs really depend on whether the infrastructure we have is good or not,” Jokowi said in a press statement published on the State Secretariat's YouTube channel on Friday, May 5, 2023.

The statement was given after visiting the Natar Traditional Market in South Lampung. Apart from reviewing road infrastructure, Jokowi also checked the food prices in traditional markets.

On that occasion, he also emphasized that the handling of damaged roads in Lampung Province will be taken over by the Ministry of Public Works and Housing (PUPR) if the provincial and district governments do not have the budget for the road repair project.

“If the province doesn't have the ability and the district doesn't have the ability, it will be taken over by the Ministry of Public Works, especially [for the restoration of] roads that are badly damaged,” Jokowi said, adding that the project will be commenced as soon as possible.

ANTARA

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