Jakarta invites foreign companies to bid for waste management

Foreign companies are invited to invest in a waste management project in Jakarta for garbage management at Bantar Gebang, Bekasi. “The bid will be offered openly and internationally,” said Governor Fauzi Bowo to journalists. According to Fauzi, the decision to invite foreign investors is an alternative taken after it was found that the Jakarta government cannot manage the waste properly. Foreign investors are expected to manage the waste in a modern, effective, and efficient way by using the approved technology system. Due to the large amount of investment, companies will have a certain time to come up with a plan. Technically, the bid will be announced through the internet in April. It is expected to decide the bid by June and to have the project running by July. “Consultants with an international certificate will also be involved,” said Fauzi. Some countries have stated their interest in this project. They are the Netherlands, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and Belgium. Total investment is Rp 140 billion for one thousand tons of cubic meters of garbage. (http://www.tempointeraktif.com/hg/nasional/2008/04/02/brk,20080402-120291,uk.html)