Some of the additional capital may be sourced from SOEs' dividends, which reached Rp80 trillion (US$5.34 billion) in 2022, Thohir told the media after attending the Indonesia-China Smart City Technology & Investment Expo 2023 here on Thursday.
Earlier, the ministry said that it would explore other solutions to accommodate the rising number of KRL passengers after the government's Development and Finance Comptroller (BPKP) rejected a proposal for importing used trains from Japan.
The agency stated that it did not endorse the import plan because railway carriages can be manufactured domestically by PT INKA.
According to the minister, there are two aspects that need to be considered in the procurement of railcars, namely the production capacity of PT INKA and the number of KRL passengers.
Therefore, he asked state-run train service provider PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) to provide up-to-date data on the matter after the termination of COVID-19 community activity restrictions (PPKM).
He noted that the corporation did not stop operations during the implementation of the PPKM.
“Since it is a state-owned company, it must continue its services (even in the midst of the pandemic),” Thohir stressed.
He said that his ministry has also coordinated with the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs, the Industry Ministry, and the Transportation Ministry to find a way to meet the needs of people in railway services by considering the domestic train car production.
Earlier, Second Deputy Minister of SOEs, Kartika Wirjoatmodjo, told the media on Wednesday (May 24, 2023) that his party is waiting for the decision of Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut Binsar Panjaitan, on the imports of used rail cars from Japan.
He noted that the plan will be realized this year. Meanwhile, spokesperson for the Transportation Ministry, Adita Irawati, said that her ministry has agreed to the plan to carry out emergency imports of train wagons considering the safety of passengers.
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Translator: Kuntum Riswan, Uyu Liman
Editor: Anton Santoso
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