Belgian aid for RI

JAKARTA (JP): Belgium yesterday extended a Bfr 200 million (US$6.4 million) interest-free loan to Indonesia to help finance the purchase of railway equipment and the development of four diesel-fueled electrical plants in eastern provinces.

The loan, which will mature in 20 years including a grace period of 10 years, was finalized in a signing ceremony here yesterday by Belgian Minister for Foreign Trade Robert Urbain and Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali Alatas.

The loan will be used to finance the construction of four power plants in Poso and Luwuk, both in Central Sulawesi, Soasiu in Maluku and Ende in East Nusa Tenggara, each with a generation capacity of one megawatt.

Apart from the power plants, the loan will also be used to purchase railway turnout equipment with electronic signaling for the Cirebon-Yogya and Bandung-Kroya routes.(mds)