Indonesia monorail scheme `implausable`: World Bank
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - A long-delayed plan to privately fund a monorail to ease congestion in Indonesia's traffic-choked capital is "completely implausible", the World Bank said here Friday.
The plan to build the 27-kilometre (17 miles) network entirely with private sector money would be impossible, with the costs of running the scheme meaning heavy losses, the Bank's infrastructure specialist Hongjoo Hahm told AFP.
Hahm said a revised Bank study completed this week based on figures supplied by private firm PT Jakarta Monorail found that major government investment would be needed for the scheme to be feasible.
"We're saying (to the Jakarta city government) don't get your eyes glazed over by private sector guys that are trying to sell you something completely implausible," Hahm said.
"If you want to do this you better make a major fiscal commitment do this, that needs a national government decision."
The Bank's findings, which were passed to Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo Thursday, are the latest major blow to the beleaguered scheme, which has been delayed amid uncertainty over funding. (*)
The plan to build the 27-kilometre (17 miles) network entirely with private sector money would be impossible, with the costs of running the scheme meaning heavy losses, the Bank's infrastructure specialist Hongjoo Hahm told AFP.
Hahm said a revised Bank study completed this week based on figures supplied by private firm PT Jakarta Monorail found that major government investment would be needed for the scheme to be feasible.
"We're saying (to the Jakarta city government) don't get your eyes glazed over by private sector guys that are trying to sell you something completely implausible," Hahm said.
"If you want to do this you better make a major fiscal commitment do this, that needs a national government decision."
The Bank's findings, which were passed to Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo Thursday, are the latest major blow to the beleaguered scheme, which has been delayed amid uncertainty over funding. (*)