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Japan responding well to Indonesia's railway funding requests: Luhut
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Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan speaks to journalists in Jakarta recently. (JP/Wienda Parwitasari)
J
apan has responded positively to Indonesia's request to extend funding for the construction of a Jakarta-to-Surabaya railway over a period of more than 40 years, according Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan.
The Jakarta-Surabaya medium-speed railway is expected to shorten the trip to six hours from the current 13 hours needed by the regular trains belonging to state railway company PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI).
"In terms of financing, we have asked them not to limit it to just 40 years but to make it longer than that so that it would be softer. It seems that Japan has responded positively," he said on Thursday.
On Thursday morning, Luhut met with Japan's minister of land, infrastructure, transport and tourism, Keiichi Ishii, to discuss several key areas of cooperation between the two countries, including the railway project, the Patimban deep sea port project in West Java and the development of the gas-rich Masela block in Maluku.
Luhut added that he hoped everything would be finalized by mid-January and Japan may become one of the biggest investors in Indonesia. (evi)
