Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The government has allocated Rp450 billion for the acquisition of land needed to build the Manggarai-Soekarno Hatta airport railway.

"The funds are available in the transportation ministry," Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Hatta Rajasa, said here Wednesday.

Minister Hatta instructed that the plan for the railway project be completed immediately.

"We ask for the immediate completion, then the design and land acquisition should be dealt with in the near future," the minister said.

Meanwhile, Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo hoped that the Bill on Land Acquisition for Public Interests could be passed into law to help support the development of infrastructure projects.

After attending a coordinating meeting at the economic affairs coordinating ministry here Wednesday Governor Fauzi said the Manggarai-Soekarno Hatta airport railway project was still facing land acquisition problems.

"Regarding land acquisition, we have not reached a deal yet, but we have prepared the route alignment," Fauzi Bowo said regarding a plan to build a railway connecting the Manggarai railway station and Soekarno Hatta airport.

The train could take the Bukit Duri and Pluit routes, he said.

In addition to the Manggarai rail project, the coordinating meeting also discussed the Metropolitan Priority Area (MPA) project to be funded by Japan.

The basic element has been discussed since last March, and will be continued until May through an advisory committee meeting, according to the governor.

Jakarta currently has many infrastructure projects, and in principle the MPA should not hamper the other ongoing projects, he said.

"The projects should be incorporated and integrated including with the development of special economic zones," he said.

Governor Fauzi called on the central government to issue regulations which could encourage investors to compete in developing infrastructuralprojects. (*)

Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
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