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T Graha Banten Lampung Sejahtera, a consortium of companies, appointed to prepare development of the Sunda Strait Bridge, says preparation is running slowly due to a lack of government assistance.

Graha Banten Lampung Sejahtera president director Agung R. Prabowo said that the lack of government support made extended preparation work, such as requiring the necessary permits to conduct feasibility studies.

He said that compared with international standards, a feasibility study on a massive project such as the Sunda Strait bridge would take at least three years to be completed. “We have been given two years, but we are confident in being able to complete the feasibility study within two years, as long as all elements involved in the project are working together with a strong commitment,” Agung said.

Due to the massive scale and importance of the bridge, in December 2011 President Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono issued a presidential regulation on the Sunda Strait bridge development program.

The government, which expects the bridge project to commence by 2014, has given the consortium a deadline of two years after the issuance of the regulation to finish all needed feasibility studies

According to Agung, a strong commitment from the government is apparently what is lacking.

Based on the Presidential regulation, a directive board consisting of numerous ministries will be responsible to assist the consortium with the essential instruments to complete the required feasibility studies.

The Coordinating Minister for the Economy is responsible as the head of the directive board, while the day-to-day head post falls in the hands of the public works ministry.

This directive board is responsible for establishing an executive board within one year after the presidential regulation has been issued. The executive board will then serve as a one-stop service center for the consortium to obtain licenses and permission in conducting feasibility studies in the Sunda Strait area.

Agung said that the consortium actually expected that the government should have been able to establish the executive board within three months after the issuance of the presidential regulation.

“We believe the one-year time limit for the establishment of the executive board is too risky because we only have 24-months to complete the preparation for the bridge project,” Agung said.

“We expected the executive board to be established in early February. However, we rarely now have meetings with the government to discuss this matter,” he added.

“So, the key for this bridge project to start by 2014 lies in the government’s hands. The consortium cannot work on its own. All stakeholders need to progress with a strong political will and firm commitment — simultaneously,” he said.

The consortium comprising companies owned by Banten and Lampung administrations, along with PT Bangungraha Sejahtera Mulia, a subsidiary of businessman Tommy Winata’s Arta Graha Network, had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU), will be responsible to build the Sunda Strait bridge, which will connect Banten in West Java with the province of Lampung in southern Sumatra.

Passengers and cargo from Sumatra and Java are currently transported through Merak Port in Banten and Bakauheni in Lampung. A single ferry journey takes between three to four hours, while a speedboat trip takes around 45 minutes. However, ferry services are interrupted during high tides, when speedboats are forbidden from travelling.

Upon completion of the bridge, which is estimated to cost the state at least Rp 100 trillion (US$11.1 billion), it would only take 30 minutes for passengers and cargos to cross the strait by electric train. The bridge is planned to be at least 29 kilometers long — six times the length of the Suramadu Bridge, which connects Java and Madura — and with six car lanes, double railway tracks and motorcycle lanes.

Public works deputy minister Hermanto Dardak said the government was fully committed to work together with the consortium to ensure the bridge project is started by 2014.

“We have been maintaining good communication with the consortium. Of course, we also think that the sooner we can establish an executive board, the better progress we will make to complete the project,” he said.

“However, as of now, we still want to concentrate on the formulation of how to build solid cooperation during the feasibility studies. We will invite the consortium for more discussions as soon as possible,”
he added.