"The first phase of the MRT project has been completed, while construction of the second phase will soon be finished, and the third stage is still under study," Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi noted here on Friday.
The minister accompanied President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) while receiving former Japanese prime minister Yasuo Fukuda at the Merdeka Palace on Friday.
The government also discussed the Jakarta-Surabaya semi-speed train project. According to Sumadi, the Assessment and Application of Technology Agency and the Japan International Cooperation Agency are conducting a site study on the project. The study is expected to be completed in November 2017.
"This time, we are discussing it intensively with Japan. It is relatively going rather quickly," Sumadi remarked.
Meanwhile, the third topic discussed was the progress in the construction of the Patimban Container Port in Subang District.
The port development project has entered the tender stage or project auction.
"We will start early next year in the hopes that we can finish in 2019," Minister Sumadi remarked.
The minister said potential constraints in the construction of Patimban Port are land ownership.
He expressed hope that the issuance of Presidential Regulation No. 148 of 2015 that regulates the implementation of land procurement for development in line with the publics interest would overcome the problem of land requirements.
During his meeting with President Jokowi, Fukuda, who has also served as president of the Japan-Indonesia Association (JAPINDA), brought along several officials from Sakura State, including JAPINDA Vice President Naoki Kuroda, Ambassador of Japan to Indonesia Masafumi Ishii, Special Envoy of Southeast Asia Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan Yutaka Iimura, Company Director Taisei Takashi Yamauchi, and Director of the Company Sumitomo Kazuo Ohmori.
In addition, JGC Corporate Director Masayuki Sato, Director of Japan Bank for International Cooperation Nobumitsu Hayashi, Director of JX Nippon Oil and Gas Exploration Company Shunsaku Miyake, Corporate Director of Chiyoda Corporation Shogo Shibuya, and Vice President Director Shimizu Tadashi Okamoto met the head of state.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2017
