Minister of Public Works accelerates People's Schools project in Singkawang

Minister of Public Works Dody Hanggodo has stressed that the government is accelerating the completion of the People’s Schools program in Singkawang City to combat extreme poverty and ensure children from impoverished families can start school on time for the new academic year in July 2026.

“This is one of two sites still in the red zone with the lowest progress. But we are pushing to finish by June,” Dody said during a site visit in Singkawang on Thursday.

He said construction acceleration is being achieved through cross-sector collaboration, including support from the TNI, local government, and additional funding for contractors.

“We hope for the support of the TNI Commander, Unit Chief, additional manpower, and local government funding assistance to complete the project on time,” he added.

Dody stated the government does not want progress reports to be merely administrative but must reflect on-ground realities. Therefore, he is personally ensuring obstacles are resolved.

“I want to confirm what is missing and what is lacking. If there are on-ground issues, my role is to communicate with officials in Jakarta to resolve them quickly,” he said.

He highlighted that the main challenge for People’s Schools construction is funding and contractor cash flow.

“When discussing main obstacles, it’s about money or cash flow. If funds are available, labour can be increased and materials purchased. However, in the current economic climate, suppliers are no longer willing to provide materials on credit,” he explained.

Despite this, Dody remains optimistic most People’s Schools projects will be completed and operational this year.

“If I am not optimistic, how can others be? Optimism is crucial to plan what needs to be done to meet deadlines,” he added.

He noted the People’s Schools program is part of government efforts to break the cycle of extreme poverty through better education access for disadvantaged communities.

“We want children currently in impoverished households to start school on time for the July 2026 academic year,” Dody said.

At the same event, Singkawang Mayor Tjhai Chui Mie said the local government is ready to oversee the accelerated construction to meet targets.

“On behalf of Singkawang City Government and the community, we thank the Minister for visiting with his team. We, alongside the deputy mayor, are ready to support the project’s progress,” she said.

Tjhai added the local government will monitor project developments and assist in resolving issues.

“We will personally inspect the construction progress. If there are shortcomings or obstacles, we are ready to help and oversee the process,” she said.

She also mentioned local government support includes land provision and speeding up AMDAL permits.

“There is significant support from local leaders, from land to AMDAL permits and others. We strongly support this program,” she added.