Following Public Protests, Central Java Provincial Government Reallocates IDR 200 Billion to Repair Damaged Roads
The Central Java Provincial Government has finally responded to waves of criticism and public demonstrations regarding damaged roads. Through a Regional Head Regulation (Perkada) scheme, the Central Java Provincial Government has officially reallocated IDR 200 billion from the 2026 regional budget (APBD) to accelerate the repair of provincial roads.
This step was taken after various protest actions emerged in several regions, where residents planted banana trees or independently filled potholes with soil. According to reports on Tuesday (9/6), remnants of these protests are still visible on several road sections that remain potholed and dusty.
The Governor of Central Java, Ahmad Luthfi, emphasised that the budget reallocation aims to boost the quality of provincial roads, which has declined due to extreme weather, at the beginning of 2026. Based on data from the Central Java Department of Public Works and Spatial Planning (PUPR), several strategic road sections are set to receive immediate attention.
“We are creating a Regional Head Regulation to shift several budgets to be used for road maintenance. The hope is that project work will not need to wait for the budget revision in September,” said Ahmad Luthfi during the 2026 Regional Budget Evaluation Meeting in Semarang on Monday (8/6).
The Head of the Central Java PUPR Department, Henggar Budi Anggoro, added that in addition to road improvement projects, his department has also prepared a routine maintenance scheme. “We are preparing routine maintenance for provincial roads spanning 2,414.59 kilometres across 173 road sections, as well as maintenance for provincial bridges spanning 26,445.77 metres,” he explained.
Although the budget is now available, Governor Ahmad Luthfi reminded that the repair process cannot be done instantaneously. There are administrative procedures that must be followed to prevent legal violations in the future. However, with the availability of these IDR 200 billion funds, physical work on the ground is guaranteed to commence much earlier than originally scheduled.