According to the president, if the construction work on the MRT project was started 26 years ago, the cost would have been lower than today.Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The delay in infrastructure development in Indonesia will lead to increase in construction costs, according to President Joko Widodo (Jokowi).
Jokowi noted here on Monday that the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) was one of the infrastructure projects that got delayed and will cost more to develop it.
According to the president, if the construction work on the MRT project was started 26 years ago, the cost would have been lower than today.
"The land acquisition cost would have been cheaper, and the government would not have to demolish Lebak Bulus Stadium as they would have conceptualized the development plan since the beginning," Jokowi affirmed.
The president noted that the hike in land prices in Jakarta had led to additional development costs.
Jokowi pointed out that the delay in the MRT project was due to the previous authority prioritizing the profit and loss of the transportation project.
He remarked that the mass transportation project would not yield high financial gains.
"However, the project can benefit the people, the city, and the government," the president said.
The MRT project was implemented in October 2013 when Jokowi served as governor of Jakarta.
The president lauded the MRT construction project as it would not trigger traffic jams.
Additionally, Executive Director of Mass Rapid Transit Co. Ltd. Dono Boestami stated that 30 percent of the construction work on the MRT project from Lebak Bulus in southern Jakarta to Hotel Indonesia Square in the central area of Jakarta was completed.
"The construction work on the overpass structure is 18 percent complete. Meanwhile, the construction of the underpass has reached 30 percent," Dono remarked.
Dono believed that the project can be completed by 2018. Thus, the facility can cater to the transportation needs and reduce traffic congestion in Jakarta.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
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