Sumbawa gets OECF loan

JAKARTA (JP): Japan's Overseas Economic Cooperation Fund (OECF) will provide Rp 153 billion (US$18 million) in soft loans to finance the construction of two irrigation facilities in Sumbawa, West Nusa Tenggara.

The head of the province's water resource conservation project, Amir Hamzah, was quoted by Antara as saying in Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara's capital, that the loans would be used to finance the construction of Batubulan dams and Pelaparado dams.

"The two new irrigation facilities will enable the province to boost its rice and food crop production. The new dams will also function as hydropower to provide electricity to the island," he said.

Amir said the Batubulan and the Pelaparado dams, which will cost Rp 81 billion and Rp 72 billion respectively, are expected to be operational in 2002. (gis)