Differences over monorail widens<\/p>\n
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The prolonged dispute between the shareholders of PT Jakarta
\nMonorail (JM) over who will supply the monorail trains and
\nsupport technology threatens to further delay the US$650 million
\nproject.<\/p>\n
The dispute revolves around the desire of Indonesian Transit
\nCentral (ITC) to name a consortium of local companies to supply
\nthe trains and technology, while Omnico Singapore Pte Ltd.
\ninsists on using South Korea's Rotem technology.<\/p>\n
In a media conference on Friday, Omnico, which holds 45
\npercent of the shares of JM, denied statements made by officials
\nof the Jakarta administration and ITC about Rotem.<\/p>\n
The statements, according to Omnico chairman Abdul Rahman,
\ninsinuated that the technology offered by the South Korean
\ncompany was too expensive and that the company wanted too much
\nmoney for the project.<\/p>\n
Governor Sutiyoso has previously supported ITC's desire to
\nappoint local companies to supply the trains for the monorail
\nproject using technology provided by Siemens of Germany.<\/p>\n
According to ITC president director Ruslan Diwirjo, this would
\nlower the total cost of the project to less than $500 million,
\nmuch lower than the estimated cost of $826 million using Rotem's
\nmagnetic levitation (Maglev) technology.<\/p>\n
Abdul Rahman flatly denied these figures, saying the actual
\ncost of the project using Rotem's technology would be about $540
\nmillion.<\/p>\n
He also denied that Omnico had made several other demands,
\nincluding a government subsidy and equity, plus the inclusion of
\n60 percent of the turnover from electronic road pricing (ERP) in
\nthe project's costs.<\/p>\n
He also said the ticket prices for the two planned monorail
\nlines would be in the hands of the city administration and would
\nnot be determined by the ultimate cost of the project.<\/p>\n
The monorail system will consist of two lines. The first line,
\nto be called the Green Line, would link the business districts of
\nKuningan and Sudirman in South Jakarta, while the second line, to
\nbe called the Blue Line, would serve a less lucrative corridor
\nfrom Kampung Melayu in East Jakarta to the Taman Anggrek shopping
\ncenter in West Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Abdul Rahman stressed that PT Jakarta Monorail had not yet
\nmade any decision about who would supply the monorail trains and
\nthe supporting technology.<\/p>\n
\"Omnico particularly regrets the various recent reports in the
\nmedia of statements by unauthorized persons about the company's
\ninvolvement in the Jakarta Monorail project; statements which we
\nconsider one-sided and which seriously misrepresent our
\nposition,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He was referring to the appointment by ITC of the Indonesia
\nConsortium of Monorail Industries (ICMI), led by the Bukaka
\nGroup.<\/p>\n
ICMI includes state rolling stock maker PT INKA and state
\nelectronics firm PT LEN Industry.<\/p>\n
Abdul Rahman stressed that Omnico preferred Maglev technology,
\nwhich he said had undergone 15 years of design development,
\nengineering, testing and operation.<\/p>\n
He doubted the capability of ICMI to manufacture monorail
\ntechnology with superior safety systems after only several months
\nof manufacturing.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, ITC director Sukmawaty Syukur said the selection of
\nthe local consortium as the rolling stock supplier was final
\nbecause JM had signed an agreement with the city administration.<\/p>\n
She played down Abdul Rahman's hesitation about the ability of
\nthe consortium to create a safe monorail system.<\/p>\n
According to Sukmawaty, she had documents about Omnico offers,
\nincluding project costs and a request for part of the ERP
\nturnover.<\/p>\n
\"They can deny, but we have evidence,\" she told The Jakarta
\nPost by phone.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/differences-over-monorail-widens-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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