JORR to be resumed next January

JAKARTA: Minister of Resettlement and Regional Infrastructure, Soenarno, said that he was optimistic the development of the neglected Jakarta Outer Ring Road (JORR) would resume in January.

He told Antara here on Wednesday that his optimism was based on the fact that the legal case involving JORR at the state administration court could be finalized later this month.

"I'm optimistic we can solve the legal case later this month as the plaintiffs have agreed to withdraw their charges," Soenarno said.

He admitted, however, that the plaintiffs would only withdraw their cases if the ministry offered a win-win solution over the JORR case. He did not elaborate.

The conflict over the toll road project centered on the different estimation of assets in JORR between those of the previous investors and the ministry, which has planned to bring in new investors and get rid of the previous investors, who were linked to former president Soeharto's regime.

According to the previous investors, their assets at JORR were valued at Rp 2.4 trillion (US$240 million) while the Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (BPPN) valued them at only Rp 1.07 trillion.--JP