BNPPDT Chief Identifies Development Needs in Border Areas
Jakarta (ANTARA) - National Border Management and Remote Areas Agency (BNPPDT) chief General TNI Maruli Simanjuntak inspected Miangas Island in the Talaud Islands Regency, North Sulawesi, to identify infrastructure development needs and ways to improve residents’ welfare in Indonesia’s border area with the Philippines.
Maruli said the visit was intended to give him a direct understanding of local conditions and community needs, while also allowing him to assess outstanding development requirements.
“I had actually planned to come here to see for myself and assess what else needs to be done,” Maruli said in a statement received in Jakarta on Thursday.
During the inspection, Maruli visited the Miangas Border Security Post, Nanusa Miangas Junior High School, Miangas Island’s Zero Point, and the Border Crossing Station (BCS) office.
The visit enabled BNPPDT to gather information about local issues for further review.
Needs under consideration include basic infrastructure, such as drilled wells and village roads, as well as school revitalisation. Residents’ welfare is also part of the assessment of development needs on Miangas Island.
Maruli said the issues identified in the field would be compiled and discussed to determine follow-up action, including possible programmes for the following year.
“I think there are several things we may need to discuss so that all these programmes can continue. For now, I’m gathering information on what the problems might be, and then we’ll look for ideas about what we can do,” he said.
He added that field inspections would continue in other border areas to identify development needs across Indonesia.
Maruli was accompanied on the visit by BNPPDT Secretary Makhruzi Rahman, Deputy for State Border Management Nurdin, Deputy for Border Area Infrastructure Management Edi Nurhabad, and Assistant Deputy for Land Border Area Potential Topri Daeng Balaw.
Through its on-the-ground assessment of Miangas Island, BNPPDT aims to ensure that residents’ needs are considered in planning development in border areas. The effort is expected to improve access to basic infrastructure and the quality of life in Indonesia’s outermost regions.