PUPR prepares new normal construction protocol
This article has been translated by PwC Indonesia as part of our Indonesia Infrastructure News Service. PwC Indonesia has not checked the accuracy of, and accepts no responsibility for the content.
Investor Daily: PUPR siapkan protokol konstruksi normal baru
13 June 2020
By Triyan Pangastuti
Jakarta – The Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Ministry is preparing a protocol to carry out construction services amid the new normal.
“We are arranging a regulation to carry out construction services in the new normal. When it is final, we will announce the regulation,” Construction Development Director General of the PUPR Ministry Trisasongko Widianto during Markplus Industry Roundtable held online on Friday (12/6).
According to Trisasongko, in early May 2020, the PUPR Ministry had 5,500 packages and 50% of them were contracted. Around 50% to 60% of the packages has not been absorbed.
Covid-19 forces the PUPR to reallocate and refocus their budget so that several scenarios must be prepared, such as cutting the budget for business trips and delaying packages that are yet to be absorbed until next year. This includes delaying tenders which will be rechecked to see which projects are prioritised.
“If it is still prioritised, the package will be constructed in 2021,” he said.
According to Trisasongko, the new normal construction protocol is designed to address several packages delayed due to Covid-19.
He also admits that several video conferences have been conducted with many stakeholders so that the regulation can be issued immediately, and construction services will be regulated in the future. Hence, construction services can be safe, effective, and efficient to accelerate infrastructure construction.
“So, starting from our workplace, we will implement regulations that order the use of masks and other [personal protective equipment].” Trisasongko said.
Then, a regulation for workers traveling to their workplace or home using land, sea, and air transportations will be prepared.
For goods and services procurement, he affirmed that he was minimalizing face to face contacts. He said that the solution was boosting online services, including adjusting the mechanism that required hardcopies.
Hardcopies are required to see that the documents are authentic, while still implementing the health protocol.
“So, roughly, that is how construction services will be provided. We are targeting the arrangements to be finished this month,” he said.
Hence, he hopes that players in the industry are arranging health protocols for their offices. Moreover, construction SOEs (State-Owned Enterprises) are setting a standard to face Covid-19.
“So, I want to state to the industry players that, despite the PUPR Ministry reallocating Rp44.5 trillion in 2020, we still have a large target that we must achieve in the next five years. As a metaphor, we are on a toll road and we are currently in the rest area,” he concluded.
