Unless the law is passed, we will not be able to speed up infrastructure development.
Jakarta, July 18 (ANTARA) - The government has called for the speedy conclusion of parliamentary discussions on the bill on acquisition of land in the public interest to ensure the smooth implementation of its infrastructure development plans.

"Unless the law is passed, we will not be able to speed up infrastructure development," Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Hatta Rajasa said at the parliament building here on Monday.

Therefore, he said, he hoped that an agreement could be reached soon as discussions of the bill so far had already gone on for eight months.

"I wish my friends in the House factions could finish it this year because they have been talking about for the past eight months," he said.

He said the slow progress in the bill`s discussions would cause delay in the implementation of projects included in the master plan for the acceleration of Indonesian economic development and expansion.

"I have not been invited by the DPR (House of Representatives) to discuss the bill. If I have , we will certianly discuss it," he said.

The government had earlier said it was ready to issue a government regulation (PP) if the discussions of the bill in parliament dragged on and could not be finished by the end of 2011.

The chief of the National Economic Commission (KEN), Chairul Tanjung, said the President was ready to issue a PP to ensure legal certainty for ongoing or future projects.

"He hopes the discussions of the bill could be completed by the end of the year. But if they are not, he is ready to issue a PP," he said.

Chairul said that the government and the DPR leadership had actually made an agreement to finish the discussion of the bill in October 2011. But if the plan fails the President will issue a PP as a temporary regulation so that "investors will not question `how we can invest in infrastructure if we do not have land`."

If the law on land acquisition is passed it is hoped the need for land for infrastructure development will be easily met. Land acquisition has so far been the main obstacle hindering many infrastructure development projects in the country such as toll roads, airports and seaports.

(H-YH/HAJM)

(T.SYS/B/H-YH/A/A014) 18-07-2011 22:22:41

Editor: Ella Syafputri
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