President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) had a work visit to Central Kalimantan Province for two days, 26-27 June 2024. President was scheduled to have official activities in five areas, which were Kotawaringin Timur, Katingan, Barito Timur, Barito Selatan Regency, and Palangka Raya City.
Three main focuses that were implied in this presidential work visit were food, agriculture, and health.
President Jokowi visited four public markets, which were Pasar Pusat Perbelanjaan Mentaya in Sampit, Pasar Pata in Katingan, Pasar Temanggoeng Djaja Karti in Tamiang Layang, dan Plaza Beringin in Buntok. President wanted to check the price of basic needs in those markets, like broiler chicken meat, onion, and cooking oil.
“The (goods) price is stable. Goods distribution works well. I come to check such two points,” said President Jokowi when being asked on fluctutative price of goods frequently happened in Kotawaringin Timur.
In Bapeang Village, Mentawa Baru Ketapang Sub-district, Kotawaringin Timur, President checked and ensured that water pumps program that was implemented in the area worked well. Water pumps program was a program that was endorsed by Ministry of Agriculture to improve national cropping intensity index (IP). The purpose of program was to increase cropping intensity from once to two or three times in a year.
“The program is to anticipate heat wave that is estimated to attack Indonesia and affect agricultural productivity,” said President.
“If the cropping intensity index is successfully improved, from one to three times, the excess of production can be distributed to IKN,” President Jokowi added.
Besides public market, President Jokowi also visit local public hospitals (RSUD), which were RSUD Mas Amsyar Kasongan and RSUD Tamiang Layang, to review the readiness of its human resources in accepting assistance of medical devices.
Total health workers, both specialist and supporting, in both hospitals were not sufficient. Particularly in RSUD Mas Amsyar Kasongan, President said that services for the participants of health security program (BPJS Kesehatan) were not optimum, especially on numbers of hospital rooms. Besides, the area of RSUD was too narrow so that needed expansion.
Another presidential agenda was to hand over food aid from government’s rice reserves to people.
Besides, President Jokowi also inaugurated construction, rehabilitation, and renovation of 16 educational facilities and infrastructure in Central Kalimantan, which spent the budget of 84.2 billion rupiah. The inauguration was carried out in IAIN Palangka Raya, on Thursday (27/06).
[WASDAL]