Jakarta (ANTARA) - Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono expressed belief that four major projects in infrastructure development in 2021 will be able to create more jobs to reduce the unemployment and poverty rates.
"Four major projects at the Public Works and Housing Ministry are aimed at reducing the unemployment and poverty rates," he noted in a written statement released on Saturday.
The projects comprise the development of food estates in Central Kalimantan, North Sumatra and East Nusa Tenggara; development of industrial estates; development of five super priority tourist destinations; and cash labor-intensive program across Indonesia, including the development of basic infrastructure, he remarked.
In addition, the ministry is tasked with renovating and rehabilitating educational, sports, and market facilities that are expected to make way for the creation of more jobs, he stated.
"We will use 165 thousand hectares of land in the former peatland development (PLG) project in Central Kalimantan to plant food crops, including rice and cassava," he remarked.
Hadimuljono highlighted the sound irrigation system in place on 28 thousand hectares of the 165 thousand hectares of land, and the ministry was in the process of improving the irrigation system for the rest.
Food estate development in Humbang Hasundutan District, North Sumatra, will cover 60 thousand hectares of land to cultivate horticultural crops, such as garlic and onion, with the irrigation system applying a locally-made big gun sprinkler system, he remarked.
The ministry will also continue the development of supporting facilities in the five super priority tourist destinations: Lake Toba, Borobudur Temple, Mandalika, Labuan Bajo, and Manado-Likupang.
The supporting facilities had earlier been planned for completion in 2020. However, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, they will be completed next year, he added.
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