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US$450m from govt for MRT
The city administration will sign an agreement with the central government to receive US$450 million for the construction of the MRT project
The city administration will sign an agreement with the central government to receive US$450 million for the construction of the MRT project.
“We hope to sign a $450 million grant agreement with the government by March. It will be the second package of a total of four loan packages for the MRT [Mass Rapid Transit] project,” Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo said Thursday after a meeting with the newly elected management board of PT MRT Jakarta (MRTJ).
“We will review the project within a month,” said MRTJ newly assigned president director Tribudi Rahardjo, who was previously vice director of contractor firm Pembangunan Jaya Group.
We will first summon consultants to evaluate the project’s progress and consider the possibility of speeding it up.”
Recently, Fauzi said the city had held discussions with the central government, including the transportation minister, to accelerate the start of the MRT project.
The development of an MRT in the capital is funded by a four-loan package worth a total of $1.1 billion, or 118 billion yen, from the Japan government.
“The second loan package is a grant for the administration. So the government will pay it,” said MRTJ corporate director Eddi Santosa.
“However, the third and fourth loan packages will be the responsibility of the administration.”
Some 4 billion yen of the 48.15 billion yen fund will be used for hiring consultants, while the remainder will go toward construction, which is targeted to start in 2011.
Construction work was initially scheduled to start in the fourth quarter of next year.
“Execution of the MRT project is closely monitored by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA),” Eddi said, adding that the 0.2 percent interest loan would be paid off over a 40-year period.
Under the JICA loan, which has a special term for economic partnership, the MRT project is obliged to use 30 percent Japanese production materials.
“The first loan package has been used for creating the basic design at the Transportation Ministry [1.86 billion yen], consultant hiring at the city administration [567 million yen] as well as consultant hiring by MRTJ [171 million yen] to prepare the construction tender,” he said.
“The ministry has estimated that the MRT basic design will be completed by April next year,” Eddi said, adding that his company would open the tender after receiving the complete basic design.
Earlier this month, a Japanese company, Marubeni Tokyo, looked at the possibility of bidding in the international tender.
Fauzi recently said 10 companies would be invited to the table to tender for the MRT project.
The 14.5-kilometer MRT — connecting Lebak Bulus in South Jakarta and Dukuh Atas in Central Jakarta — is targeted to be completed within five years after construction starts.
The MRT route will start at Lebak Bulus, pass through Jl. Fatmawati, Jl. Cipete Raya, Jl. Haji Nawi, Blok M, Jl. Sisingamangaraja, Senayan, Istora and Bendungan Hilir, and end at Setiabudi.
“This year, we have also planned a feasibility study to be conducted by JICA for the Dukuh Atas-Kota MRT route,” Eddi said.
He was optimistic about completing the acquisition of some 4 hectares of land for the route from Lebak Bulus, South Jakarta, to Dukuh Atas, Central Jakarta.
The city administration has allocated Rp 40 billion (US$3.5 million) from this year’s budget to acquire land for the depot and construction of the depot.
