Jokowi to Announce Winner of High-Speed Train Project Bid

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko `Jokowi` Widodo plans to announce the name of the investor, whose bid has qualified to build a high-speed railway in Indonesia, a senior minister said.

Speaking to the press following a meeting with several officials and ministers at the Presidential Palace on Thursday, the Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Darmin Nasution, said he had submitted the recommendations for the high-speed train project.

"We finalized the recommendations last night and reported them to the President today. The President said he will announce (the winner of the project) himself," he said.

The minister added that the President would take the final call on the recommendations.

But he declined to reveal the final decision regarding the high-speed train project, which both Japan and China are vying to develop.

"He (the President) will announce it. If I tell you now, I will be superseding the President's authority," he stated.

Asked about the impact of the high-speed train project on social and economic life, Nasution said the potential impact was being evaluated. The result of the study had been submitted to consultants for consideration.

"If we look at the sharing of the cost burden, the impact of the project on economic aspects, and the use of local raw materials by the two investors, China might win the project," he said.

But if viewed from the perspectives of a track record, technological development, risks and zero percent accident rate, Japan was the superior bidder, he added.

Nasution said the President's decision would be announced based on one aspect, which was that the project should not burden the state budget.

The high-speed train will be designed in such way that it will reflect business-to-business cooperation, which will also involve the state-owned companies of the two countries.

"We will invite their respective governments to explain it (the design). The chances of winning the bid are open for both the sides," he said.

The recommendations were finalized on Wednesday night following a report submitted by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) regarding some aspects of the assessment of the infrastructure project.

ANTARA