House Commission V Deputy Chair, Andi Iwan Darmawan Aras, leads the Commission V delegation in a working visit to West Java International Airport in Kertajati, Majalengka, West Java, on Thursday (17/9/2020). Photo: Hendra/Man

House Commission V—overseeing matters relating to public works—urged the Public Works and Housing Ministry and related institutions to speed up the construction of Cisumdawu (Cileunyi - Sumedang - Dawuan) Toll Road connecting Bandung and West Java International Airport (BIJB) in Kertajati, Majalengka, West Java province, stating the faster the project is completed, the faster the mobility in BIJB will be.  

“Principally, House Commission V gives its full support to the West Java International Airport construction so that the airport can be used optimally and benefit people in West Java,” said Commission V Deputy Chair, Andi Iwan Darmawan Aras, on the sidelines of the Commission’s working visit to BIJB on Thursday (17/9/2020).  

For optimal use of BIJB, the House Commission V focuses on the airport’s accessibility and urged the acceleration of toll road construction, therefore the airport can be reached from Bandung within 90 minutes. “One of our main concerns is the road infrastructure connecting Bandung and Kertajati and how it can be accelerated. The Commission would ask the provincial, district, and central governments to finalize the land acquisition process as soon as possible,” Aras asserted. 

The Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) politician also stated that the toll road construction would cut across some forest areas, so coordination between Public Works and Housing Ministry (PUPR) and Environment and Forestry Ministry (KLHK) would be necessary. “Some parts would cut across forest areas, and so we will coordinate with the Environment and Forestry Minister to ensure good synergy and effective process,” Aras added. 

The legislator, who represents South Sulawesi constituency, also stated that land acquisition budget was no longer an issue in the Cisumdawu toll road construction, thanks to state budget allocated by the central government for this purpose. The rest depends on how the government disseminates this information to the local community. 

“There are no more problems with the land acquisition finance since the central government has intervened when it allocated the state budget. We just need find a way to disseminate this information to the local community. Also equally as important is ministerial consultation regarding the forest areas,” he affirmed. The commission believed that effective inter-ministerial coordination would be required for successful development of this project. (hs/sf)