Atambua, East Nusa Tenggara, Dec 28 (Antara) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) inspected the ongoing construction of the Motaain cross-border post in Belu City, Atambua, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) on Monday.
"The development of this integrated check point on the border between Indonesia and Timor Leste is expected to smooth the flow of goods and boost economic activities," stated President Jokowi after inspecting the border post at the Motaain border .
Construction of the border post, which cost Rp82 billion, was started in August 2015 and is expected to be completed in October 2016.
The Motaain post was previously only a building with a number of doors used to handle immigration, customs, quarantines, trade and other activities.
But with the construction of the integrated cross-border post, the building will be divided into a number of sections based upon official requirements. There will also be a market for use by the public.
The post will also be used as a cross-border check point for goods entering and leaving the country.
Besides the Motaain, the president has also ordered the development of other integrated cross-border posts, such as at the Aruk, Entikong, Nanga Badau, Wini, Motamasin and Sukow border posts.
During his visit, the president was accompanied by Minister/State Secretary Pratikno, Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) Commander Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo, National Police (Polri) Chief Gen Badrodin Haiti, Public Works and Public Housing Minister Basuki Hadimoeljono, and NTT Governor Frans Lebu Raya.
Earlier, President Jokowi inaugurated the second dam in NTT, the Rotikklot Dam in Fetuketi Village, Kakuluk Mesak Subdistrict, Belu District.
"The dam must be used by the community for drinking water and power supplies," President Jokowi said when laying the cornerstone of the dam.
He also urged that the dam help support the food resilience program in surrounding areas.
"Food resilience could be realized if we have food barns, but the key is (ample supplies of) water. Therefore, we will build the dam," he said.
The construction work at Rotiklot dam is expected to be completed within three years. It will have a capacity of 2.9 million m3 and is expected to irrigate 139 hectares of farming areas.
The dam is also designed to generate electricity.
President Jokowi also said he would send a 60 MW floating power generator to East Nusa Tenggara.
On Sunday, President Joko Widodo dedicated a solar-powered electricity generating plant in the village of Oeipuah, Central Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara.
"This is the first large capacity solar power plant made in Indonesia," he said after dedicating the 5 MW power project, being carried out by state-owned company PT LEN.
The president said a similar power plant, with an equal or even larger capacity, would also be built in other parts of the Indonesian eastern region.
"This is what we are going to carry out, especially on remote islands, where developing a coal-fired power plant will be difficult to carry out," he said.
He noted that a solar power plant is environmentally friendly and faster to build, compared to a coal-fired power plant.(*)
