REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, BATAM -- Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Indroyono Susilo has expressed his support for building a bridge that connects the Batam and Bintan Islands in a bid to boost connectivity between the two islands.

"If a building plan is submitted to the National Medium Term Development Plan (RPJMN), then I will work to make it happen," said Susilo on Saturday.

He admitted that he had recently learnt about the plan to build a bridge from the Riau Island?s provincial government, and has not been able to ensure the construction of the seven kilometer-long bridge.

According to the minister, the construction of the bridge is very important for the continuous flow of goods and people between the two islands, which are adjacent to Singapore.

The bridge is expected to also boost the number of foreign tourists or domestic tourists traveling to the Bintan or Batam Islands.

The Vice Governor of Riau Islands Soerya Respationo has also stated that the Batam-Bintan bridge is needed for greater inter-island connectivity.

He believes the bridge will increase the length of stay for tourists visiting the Batam and Bintan Islands.

"Achieving a target of 2.5 million foreign tourist visits to the islands is not impossible," he said.

Guntur Sakti, the Head of the Tourism Department in the Riau Islands Province said inter-island connectivity has to be encouraged to support tourism.

"All we need is good infrastructure to expand the tourists' visiting time period," he said.

It was reported recently that tourists have difficulty accessing transportation from the Batam to Bintan Islands due to the lack of port facilities.

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