The governors of Lampung and Banten said they demanded that they be
included in a consortium to manage the Sunda Strait Bridge (JSS)
project. Lampung Governor Sjachroedin ZP said he and Banten
Governor Ratu Atut Choisiyah would express their objection if their
consortium, which had initiated the JSS development project a few years
ago, was omitted from the project following the central government’s
plan to take over the feasibility study.That is why we want to
see President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. We will object if the central
government plans not to involve us in the project,” Sjachroedin said
over the weekend.
He also expressed his concern that the
feasibility study would have another postponement if it was taken over
by the central government. He said the study would require between 3 and
4 percent of the total project funds, which is estimated to be more
than Rp 200 trillion (US$21.2 billion).
Sjachroedin added that
both the Lampung and Banten provincial administrations expected to have
the feasibility study funded by the investors grouped in the consortium,
which included PT Lampung Jasa Utama (a Lampung provincial
administration-owned company); PT Banten Global Development (a Banten
administration-owned company) and Bangungraha Sejahtera Mulia (a
subsidiary of the Artha Graha Group).
According to Presidential
Regulation (Perpres) No. 86/2011 on the Sunda Strait strategic area
development, the consortium, as the initiator of the project, is tasked
with completing the feasibility study within 24 months or by 2014 at the
latest. Sjachroedin said that taking over the feasibility study
from the consortium meant the central government had negated the
significant contributions made by many parties, including by the Artha
Graha Group.
The plan to take over the work was revealed by the
head of the Fiscal Policy Agency (BKF), Bambang Brodjonegoro, earlier
last week at the House of Representatives.
Giving the feasibility
study to the Lampung-Banten consortium, according to Bambang, was not
in accordance with the public private partnership (PPP) scheme applied
by the government.
“We want to apply a correct PPP scheme, meaning that everyone will is openly welcomed to join the bid,” Bambang said.
The
JSS project is included in the Master Plan for the Acceleration and
Expansion of Indonesian Economic Development (MP3EI) in the field of
infrastructure development, which is expected to have a multiplier
effect on other areas of development.
Separately, executive
director of Indonesian Development Monitoring (IDM), Dedi Rohman, said
Finance Minister Agus Martowadojo’s proposal to have the JSS feasibility
study funded by the state budget through a revised Perpres 86/2012 had
created legal uncertainty in the country.
He said Article 22 of
the Perpres stipulated that the initiator of the project was tasked with
preparing for the project and funding the preparation work.
“This
means that the feasibility study and the bridge’s design are not funded
by the state budget. The Finance Minister’s policy will make investors
think twice about investing here because of the legal uncertainties in
Indonesia,” Dedi said.