JAKARTA. President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has demanded faster progress on the construction of infrastructure at Lake Toba to turn the tourist destination in North Sumatra into a world-class destination.
The government plans to build two toll roads, namely from Tebing Tinggi to Siantar and from Siantar to Parapat, a 360-kilometer ring road around Lake Toba as well as a new bridge to the island of Samosir, located in the middle of the lake. Building work on the projects is slated to begin next year and conclude within two years.
The roads were intended to facilitate access to the area surrounding Lake Toba, Jokowi said on Sunday.
"I ask the ministries in charge to realize the construction of the Lake Toba ring road. If the roads are damaged, tourists will not want to come. The construction of the projects will help increase the welfare of the local people," he said during his visit to Simanndo on Samosir.
Furthermore, Jokowi ordered the transportation minister to add a ferry crossing from North Sumatra's mainland to Samosir. The ferries would support the transportation of tourists in the area.
Lake Toba is one of 10 tourism destinations prioritized and promoted by the government this year, along with the Borobudur Temple in Central Java, Labuan Bajo in East Nusa Tenggara, Wakatobi in Southeast Sulawesi, Tanjung Lesung in Banten and Mandalika in West Nusa Tenggara.(Apriadi Gunawan)
