Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa has pledged to fund the construction of a new bridge in North Kalimantan to improve connectivity in the border region, where many residents have been forced to cross into neighboring Malaysia due to limited infrastructure.
The commitment was made following his meeting with North Kalimantan Governor Zainal Arifin Paliwang at the Ministry of Finance on Tuesday, November 7, 2025.
“I gave them one ‘souvenir’ from North Kalimantan. He said there’s no bridge in that area, so many residents have to go to Malaysia,” Purbaya said.
He cited that the Finance Ministry would coordinate directly with the Ministry of Public Work to implement the project and that a special budget had already been allocated for it.
“I will ask the public works ministry to build it using the funds we’ve provided from here. That’s my gift to them,” he said.
According to Purbaya, the government has set aside between Rp100 billion (US$6 million) and Rp150 billion for the bridge’s construction. He assured that the budget allocation process would be expedited to ensure the project could begin soon.
“Definitely as soon as possible. I’ve asked my director-general to meet the public works ministry’s PU’s director-general and see if there are any programs that can be shifted to fund the bridge in North Kalimantan,” he added.
The new bridge is expected to enhance mobility, stimulate local economic activity, and reduce the dependence of North Kalimantan residents on cross-border infrastructure in Malaysia.
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