Jakarta. The Public Works Ministry has set aside Rp 1.2 trillion ($71.6 million) for labor-intensive programs focused on small-scale road and bridge works across 1,059 sites nationwide.

Public Works Minister Dody Hanggodo said the initiative, known as Padat Karya (Labor-Intensive), goes beyond physical infrastructure results by directly boosting local economies. “This program ensures that development benefits are felt evenly across communities. By involving residents, padat karya creates jobs, reduces unemployment, and strengthens household purchasing power,” Dody said in a written statement on Tuesday.

As of Sept. 24, the ministry’s e-Monitoring data showed physical progress had reached 62.1 percent, employing 43,628 workers, equivalent to 2.9 million workdays.

Road projects under the program include routine maintenance such as median cleaning, road marking, and minor repairs, with 63.78 percent completion and 33,052 workers employed. Routine road condition maintenance was 43.96 percent complete with 244 workers, while road support works were 62.56 percent complete, engaging 23 workers.

Bridge projects, including repainting steel frames, stood at 57.9 percent completion with 9,674 workers employed from a target of 12,180. Additional contractual Padat Karya activities were 33.41 percent complete, involving 635 workers. Strategically, the ministry links Padat Karya to its PU 608 targets: improving investment efficiency (ICOR below 6), eradicating poverty, and driving 8 percent annual economic growth.

The program is carried out by the ministry’s regional road offices under the Directorate General of Highways, aiming to strengthen local economies, open job opportunities, and improve essential infrastructure.