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