Ministers reach impasse on Sunda Strait project

JAKARTA. The team of senior officials assigned to make final recommendations on proposed revisions to the presidential decree on the Sunda Strait Bridge (SSB) project has come to an impasse despite having met twice.

“We have had two meetings but we could not reach a firm conclusion,” one of the team members, Finance Minister Agus Martowardojo, told The Jakarta Post at his office on Monday.

Agus declined to provide more details on the bones of contention.

The team consisted of Public Works Minister Djoko Kirmanto, Cabinet Secretary Dipo Alam, State Secretary Sudi Silalahi, Law and Human Rights Minister Amir Syamsudin, Industry Minister MS Hidayat and National Development Planning Board (Bappenas) head Armida Alisjahbana.

The team was established by the head of the SSB project directive board, the Coordinating Economic Minister Hatta Rajasa, in an attempt to end the ongoing debate over whether the decree should be revised or not.

The idea for revising the decree came from the Finance Ministry, which opened the possibility of government involvement in drawing up the feasibility study for the project, thus altering the mandate of the initiator of the project, the provisions of which are stipulated in the current decree.

The consortium PT Graha Banten Lampung Sejahtera, led by tycoon Tomy Winata’s Artha Graha Network, as the initiator has been mandated to carry out the feasibility study by the decree and in return it would expect to receive certain beneficial rights in the later bidding process.

Separately, Armida said on Monday that all ministries involved in the team had wrapped up their respective proposals to end the debate on the decree and would synchronize their recommendations with one another as soon as possible.

“The point is that we are all seeking a solution for the SSB project,” she said.

The SSB is planned to connect Java and Sumatra through Banten and Lampung.

At present, passenger and cargo traffic from Sumatra and Java are transported by sea through Merak Port in Banten and Bakauheni in Lampung. A single ferry journey takes between three and four hours, while a fast boat ride takes around 45 minutes.

Banten Governor Ratu Atut Chosiyah has said that due to the importance of the SSB for her province, the central government had to settle the issues surrounding the decree as soon as possible.

Tomy has already made clear that the consortium was willing to comply with whatever decision the government made on the decree.

“It is now up to the government. We will comply with whatever decision is made,” he said.

According to the consortium, they have communicated with several companies from South Korea, China, the United States and Japan about the possibility of partnerships to build the bridge and all the facilities associated with it such as the railway system. (Hans David Tampubolon/ The Jakarta Post)