The East Java Regional House of Representatives Member Cahyo Holds a Public Forum

The East Java Regional House of Representatives Member Cahyo Harjo Prakoso encourages to support infrastructure development carried out by the Surabaya City Government, aimed at advancing the City of Heroes. Cahyo delivered this message during a public forum with Surabaya residents, themed Eco-Friendly Infrastructure Development for the Future.

In the public forum attended by the Deputy Speaker of the Surabaya City Regional House of Representatives, Bachtiar Rifai, Cahyo stated that the sustainable development program is one of the flagship programs and a commitment of the central government. To ensure its success, regional government has to build targeted infrastructure to support economic growth and continue improving transportation connectivity.

“However, infrastructure development must uphold environmental sustainability values and support the growth of the green economy in Indonesia, particularly in Surabaya,” he said.Aside from transportation infrastructure, flood control is another critical issue. This is particularly important given that several parts of Surabaya experienced flooding in recent days due to heavy rainfall. It is also undeniable that the issue stems from drainage systems that are still not functioning optimally.

“On the other hand, repairs are also being made to drainage systems that were damaged by heavy rainfall,” he revealed.The East Java DPRD is optimistic that the Surabaya City Government has a strong commitment to addressing flooding. This is evident in how quickly the water recedes whenever flooding occurs.The East Java DPRD hopes that Surabaya as the second most developed city in Indonesia and one of the main economic centers in eastern Indonesia will continue to thrive. The Surabaya citizens are encouraged to achieve sustainable infrastructure development.

“So that (Surabaya) can truly have good infrastructure and be free from flooding,” he explained.Meanwhile the Deputy Speaker of the Surabaya City DPRD, Bachtiar Rifai, explained that over the past 10 years, President Joko Widodo has built numerous toll roads. This is proven by the development of the Trans Java Toll Road connecting Surabaya - Jakarta. In addition, a lot of airports and terminals have also been constructed during President Jokowi’s time in office.“And the most recent is the development of the New Capital City, Nusantara (IKN), in Kalimantan,” he stated.The politician from the Gerindra Party stated that infrastructure development is a visible personal legacy. He said that every leader definitely wants to leave something memorable after completing their term. This applies not only to presidents and regional heads even neighborhood leaders like RT (neighborhood unit) and RW (community unit) also want to have a legacy of their own.“For example, an RT or RW in Area A wants to build a paved road. Later, they can say, This paving was done during my term. That’s a good policy,” he said.

Bachtiar evaluates that infrastructure funding is certainly included in the overall government budget. However, the amount is relatively limited compared to allocations for health and education, as the law mandates that 20–25% of the total regional or national budget (APBD/APBN) must be allocated to those sectors.