JAKARTA: President Joko Widodo has instructed members of the Association of Indonesian City Governments (Apeksi) to develop comprehensive plans for each city by emphasising their unique strengths.
Joko Widodo, who is popularly known as Jokowi, asserted that every city should have its grand architectural plan, noting that all cities currently lack specific strengths and differentiation compared to others.
At the Apeksi meeting in Bogor today (December 15), he stated that this initiative is also aimed at addressing urban population growth, expected to reach 70 per cent by 2045-2050, up from 56.7 per cent in 2020.
"The strengths and character of each city must be brought out, but all of this must be designed from the beginning. There needs to be continuous consistency in leadership without changing plans," he stressed.
Highlighting Ambon, the capital of Maluku Province, known for its fishery products, Jokowi emphasised the importance of effective planning and infrastructure development to enhance fish production.
"Commence planning now by focusing on all facilities related to fish, such as cold storage, ports, and consider hosting annual conferences on fisheries," he said.
Jokowi also cited several cities worldwide that he considers successfully build to highlight their strengths.
Two examples include Sunnylands in California, the United States, known for its excellent golf course, and Cologne in Germany, renowned as an exhibition city, he added. — Bernama