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S. Korea, Japan, the United Kingdom to partake in Jakarta’s MRT project
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(Photo courtesy of the Transportation Ministry)
J
apan, South Korea and the United Kingdom have expressed their interest to participate in the development of Jakarta’s MRT railway project. On Monday, the three countries signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Indonesian government in Bali.
The signing produced three agreements, an MoU between the Indonesian and South Korean governments to conduct phase four of the Jakarta MRT project for the Fatmawati-Kampung Rambutan line, a memorandum of cooperation (MoC) between the Indonesian and Japanese governments on the continuation of the Jakarta MRT East-West line phase one and a letter of intent (LoI) with the UK government on collaboration for the railway project’s development.
The signing was attended by Indonesian Transportation Minister, Budi Karya Sumadi, South Korean Land, Infrastructure and Transportation Minister Won Hee-Ryong, Japanese Foreign Cooperation Deputy Minister Satoru Mizusima and British Ambassador to Indonesia and Timor Leste Owen Jenkins.
The signing demonstrates the international community’s interest in investing in Indonesia’s infrastructure development, particularly in transportation. “South Korea, Japan and the United Kingdom are Indonesia’s strategic partners in collaborations that benefit each other, especially in the transportation sector,” Budi said.
He also believed that the MoU would be the first step in accelerating the readiness of Jakarta’s MRT system as a cleaner form of public transportation. Aside from reducing traffic congestion, the MRT is also expected to lower Jakarta’s greenhouse gas emissions and improve the city’s air quality.
Indonesia’s Group of 20 presidency provides an opportunity to seek collaborations in infrastructure development through non-state budget creative funding. The government aims to strengthen interregional connectivity and national competitiveness despite state budget limitations.
“As mandated by the President, the development of urban mass infrastructure like the MRT in Jakarta is very important to pursue. Currently, Jakarta is considered to be an example for other cities in the advancement of public transportation. We are currently carrying out study cases in other places for MRT and LRT railway projects in Medan, Bandung, Surabaya and Bali,” said Budi.
