Religious violence and intolerance flared up in Indonesia's North Sumatra over the weekend when an angry Muslim mob burned down (or damaged) 12 Buddhist temples in Tanjung Balai. According to local authorities the mob was mobilized after an Indonesian woman of Chinese descent complained about the loud volume of the calls to prayer and Koranic recitals at the mosque that is situated in front of her house. One day later, seven people were detained by Indonesian police on suspicion of attacking the temples.

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Last week Indonesian President Joko Widodo inaugurated the 41.7-kilometer Parbarakan-Sei Rampah section of the Medan-Kualanamu-Tebing Tinggi toll road in North Sumatra. This Parbarakan-Sei Rampah section is now the longest piece of toll road on the island of Sumatra and will boost connectivity in the province of North Sumatra.

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The local government of North Sumatra stated that a number of foreign investors have shown interest to participate in the tender for the construction of the Kuala Namu-Tebing Tinggi toll road. The toll road will connect the new Kuala Namu International Airport to the city of Tebing Tinggi, approximately 30 kilometers from North Sumatra's capital city of Medan. Kuala Namu is designed as Indonesia's air traffic hub for Southeast Asia as it has a more strategic location to Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Bangkok compared to Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta airport.

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The public and private sector in Indonesia is well aware that the lack of quality and quantity of Indonesia's infrastructure is one of the matters that hamper the economic development of the country. For that reason, the central government implemented the Masterplan to Accelerate and Expand Economic Development (MP3EI) in Indonesia, which foresees large investments in the country's infrastructure. Although results are not satisfying yet, the government is proud to have opened a new airport in North Sumatra.

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