Transport works tendered

JAKARTA (JP): The Ministry of Transportation said yesterday that it will tender all the projects for the construction of transportation facilities which are offered to the private sector under a build-operate-and-transfer scheme.

Secretary General of the Ministry of Transportation Muchtarudin Siregar denied accusations that his ministry did not tender many of its transportation projects.

The building of the container terminal in Tanjung Priok port by Humpuss and a new airport in Medan, North Sumatra, by PT Citra Lamtorogung Persada, for example, had been tendered with normal procedures, he said.

Both companies belong to the children of President Soeharto, his youngest son Hutomo Mandala Putra and eldest daughter Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana.

The container terminal project is estimated to cost Rp 800 billion (US$370 million) and the airport project Rp 2 trillion.

"The construction of the Rp 7 trillion Mass Rapid Transport (MRT) project in the Jakarta greater area will also be tendered according to normal procedures," Siregar was quoted by Antara news agency as saying here.

Last week's meeting of the Consultative Group for Indonesia (CGI) suggested that the building of mega projects in Indonesia should be offered to contractors through tenders.

Siregar said private sector companies interested in transportation projects can ask the government for explanation.

He said there will be more mega transportation projects which will be offered to private sector companies, including an integrated station in Mangarai, Central Jakarta, and international airports in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, and in Solo, Central Java. (yns)