Special body to build border areas

Special body to build border areas

SAMARINDA, East Kalimantan: President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
plans to set up a special institution to speed up development
work in the country's border areas.

East Kalimantan Governor H. Suwarna said on Monday the plan
was announced by the President in a meeting with the Kalimantan
governors in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, on Wednesday.

During the meeting, the President said the government would
increase development projects in the country's border areas in an
effort to reduce transnational crimes.

The projects would include developing plantations and building
roads in the border areas, he added.

"As a proof of the government's seriousness as regards the
development of border areas, we will establish an institution
through a presidential decree to carry out the development
projects," Suwarna quoted Susilo as saying.

Suwarna admitted that development in border areas had been
neglected, which had resulted in widespread illegal logging,
poaching and transnational crimes that could prejudice national
defense and security. --Antara