S. Sulawesi wants $400m to build railway

S. Sulawesi wants $400m to build railway

MAKASSAR, South Sulawesi: The South Sulawesi provincial
administration is seeking US$400 million (more than Rp 4
trillion) for the construction of a 145-kilometer railway
connecting Makassar and Pare-pare starting in 2015 as part of the
effort to accelerate economic development in the province.

Local transportation office director Farid Suaib said the
development of a railway was essential to spur inter-regency
trade in the province.

"We are planning to start the project in 2015. The feasibility
study is currently underway," he said after a meeting between
local officials and a delegation from China's Hubei province.

He said the Hubei delegation had expressed their commitment to
providing technical help for the development of the project.

The leader of the Hubei delegation, Luo Xian Hua, confirmed
that his administration was committed to providing experts to
help with the project, but said it had yet to decide whether to
provide financial aid.

He said the commitment was a follow-on from the two provinces'
technical cooperation agreement in the transportation and
agriculture fields.

Farid said further that some of the funding for the project
would be provided by the state budget, some by the provincial
budget, and some by foreign investors. He also expressed the hope
that non-binding assistance would be available from international
financial institutions.

The two sides also discussed cooperation in the agricultural
sector. --JP