Kepulauan Meranti government addresses electricity, borders, and healthcare

The Kepulauan Meranti Regency government is undertaking several administrative and infrastructure initiatives to improve regional services and legal certainty.

Regarding infrastructure, officials have begun re-evaluating electrical assets to ensure proper ownership and safety. This includes an inventory of 61 generators, 65.5 kilometers of cabling, and over 1,600 poles. The government is proposing the auction of 21 generators valued at Rp1.7 billion that are no longer functional. This move follows concerns from local representatives regarding hazardous electrical conditions, such as low-hanging cables and the use of wooden poles in certain villages.

On the administrative front, Vice Regent Muzamil Baharudin is seeking support from the Riau Provincial Government to finalize regional boundary demarcations. The regency is working with neighboring districts, including Bengkalis, Siak, and Pelalawan, to align borders with current geographical facts and secure legal certainty through the Ministry of Home Affairs.

In healthcare, the regency is collaborating with the Ministry of Health to evaluate special allowances for specialist doctors serving in remote, border, and island areas (DTPK). Local officials stated they are providing additional budget allocations to support medical staff and ensure high-quality healthcare services within the archipelago.