"Right now, it is only from Makassar to Parepare, and what we are currently inaugurating is the line from Maros to Barru," President Jokowi stated while inaugurating the Makassar-Parepare Railway between Maros and Barru and the Maros Train Depot in Maros District, Wednesday, as broadcast on YouTube by the Presidential Secretariat.
The railway line (KA) from Maros Station, Maros District, to Garongkong Station in Barru District, South Sulawesi, has a length of 80 kilometers and is part of the Makassar-Parepare railway project, with a length of 145 kilometers, of which 120 kilometers have been built.
President Jokowi stated that today's operations and the increasing number of train cars and travel services will increase the competitiveness of the economy in Sulawesi, as rail transportation services come at a low cost.
"This is if there are really a lot of trains, there are passengers, there are tours, there are goods, and this will give competitiveness. Our country's competitiveness is getting better because goods are transported by cheap transportation," he remarked.
Jokowi is optimistic that the trains on Sulawesi Island would be used optimally by the community and also by businesspersons.
The head of state also stressed the importance of developing mass transportation in various cities in Indonesia, as it is a basic connectivity infrastructure.
"When I ordered, we had to focus on whether in Kalimantan or Sulawesi, and we decided on Sulawesi because if not, everyone will take private cars, and no one wants to use mass transportation," President Jokowi remarked.
The Makassar-Parepare Railway Project is part of the development of the Trans Sulawesi Railway and is one of the national strategic projects (PSN).
According to the Government Business Cooperation (KPBU) data from the Ministry of Finance, the value of KPBU of the Makassar-Parepare Railway project reached Rp1 trillion (around US$ 66.4 million).
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Translator: Indra Arief, Cindy Frishanti Octavia
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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