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UK to provide $1.25b in MRT as it dubs RI ‘powerhouse’ economy
The UK government will make available US$1.25 billion for the development of the MRT Jakarta project with the possible involvement of Crossrail International, Mott Macdonald and six other undisclosed UK companies.
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Workers clean asphalt debris from an unearthed Dutch-colonial era tram track at one of the sites of the MRT Jakarta phase 2A construction on Jl. Gajah Mada in Central Jakarta in November 2022. (Antara/Darryl Ramadhan)
T
he United Kingdom government will make available US$1.25 billion for the development of the MRT Jakarta project with the possible involvement of Crossrail International, Mott Macdonald and six other undisclosed UK companies.
UK minister for exports, Andrew Bowie, told The Jakarta Post on Thursday that these eight companies had highly relevant experience based on their participation in the development of British rail networks.
“[Crossrail International and Mott Macdonald] delivered the Elizabeth Line, which has transformed commuting across London, and we want to see the same happen here with the MRT,” said Bowie.
The $1.25 billion in export credit guarantees from UK Export Finance was agreed upon in November last year at the Group of 20 Summit in Bali, and Bowie confirmed that it was part of the UK government’s commitment to making 4.5 billion pounds ($5.4 billion) available for investment in Indonesia.
Read also: RI reels in new FDI for Jakarta’s major railway projects
Bowie declined to divulge what the rest of the funds might be used for, explaining that it was up to the private sector to assess the opportunities.
“It’s up to the projects in Indonesia to make it known to us that [a specific project] is going ahead, so we can say to UK companies: ‘Look, there're chances out here, we've got this money that can support you, let's go into it,’” said Bowie.
