Foreign money to solve flooding

Foreign money to solve flooding

JAKARTA: Central Jakarta mayoralty received Rp 1.4 trillion
(US$148.15 million) from foreign sources for a flood control
project on the Ciliwung river recently, the Minister of
Settlement and Regional Infrastructure Soenarno said on
Wednesday.

"These funds are now available," Soenarno said at City Hall
after attending a meeting concerning the river project.

He said the money consists of a Rp 1.3 trillion soft loan from
the Japan Bank for International Cooperation and a US$10 million
grant from the government of the Netherlands.

The flood control project for the 130-kilometer long river was
deemed necessary because it was one of the main factors that
exacerbated the huge floods which inundated most of Greater
Jakarta in February.

The overall program to prevent flooding will include the
development of the 23-kilometer long East Flood Canal project
which will cost between Rp 15 trillion and Rp 20 trillion. It was
proposed and planned decades ago, and each year City budget funds
are allocated, but the work has not yet begun. It is estimated to
take at least 10 years to complete once construction begins. --
JP