Japan extends grant assistance

JAKARTA: The government of Japan extended grant aid worth US$47.4 million to Indonesia on Monday.

The grants are to help fund four projects related respectively to the counterterrorism effort, the provision of safe drinking water, power supply system improvements and biodiversity conservation.

About $6.91 million of the money will be used to procure security equipment for major airports and ports, while some $2.06 million will be spent on the rural water supply systems in the provinces of West Nusa Tenggara and East Nusa Tenggara.

The rest of the grant aid is earmarked for the rehabilitation of the Gresik power plant in East Java, and the establishment of research facilities for biodiversity conservation and utilization. --JP