One of the main
characteristics of a developed nation was the existence adequate basic
infrastructure. With a historical background of centuries (South Korea needed
only 25 years) Europe and the USA had adequate infra structure which enabled
them to develop into advanced and highly civilized countries.
China, Japan and Hong Kong, were among the few countries
in Asia which had excellent infrastructure building and able to keep up with
the condition in Europe and the USA. As with China, evidently this country was
able to jack up economic growth above 10% (in 1010) and slightly down to 9.2%
in 2011 and in this year 2012 was projected to grow by around 8.2% according to
data of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
One of the amazing achievements in China mainland and
Hong Kong was inter-insular connectivity in that country. Connecting bridges
with four-lane roads and brightly illuminated with strong supporting pillars stretching
for over one kilometers long were easily built.
In China, funding was never a problem. Workforce was
never a problem either thanks to vast population, while technological
development was just as supportive. So there came into being titanic bridges
which connected cities and islands in China mainland, Hong Kong and Macau.
Traffic of all types of vehicles flowed smoothly between
cities and islands. Beside land transportation mode connected by bridges, sea
transportation were just as prevalent know as turbo jet boats, which resembled
cruise ships of high speed connecting cities and islands.
Traveling from Hong Kong to Macau passengers go by turbo
jet, then from Macau to Shenzhen, a new industrial city in China, using turbo
jets. Furthermore to whiz away from Shenzhen to Hong Kong using land
transportation mode through wide and fine roads.
How about Indonesia? Sadly, Indonesia was still way
behind China. In the past decease (2000 – 2010) the length of road built in
China came to 7,700 km, while over the same span of time Indonesia managed to
build only 700 km of toll roads. Truly ironical.
Too many problem at policy making level to exceptional
stage afield were the big handicaps and obstacles in building infra-structure
management in this country. Land disputes were the classical problem that was
never seriously tackled by Government as regulator.
The latest example was the nation’s titanic Sunda
Staraits Bridge (JSS) project which would connect Java and Sumatra. In the
beginning the public widely acclaimed this Government’s spectacular project
because economic pulsation in the two big islands, Java and Sumatra, would be
well and alive.
The multiplier effect was already visible: economic
growth would be energized, Regional GDP of the connected islands would
increased remarkably, direct investment would be boosted, distribution of goods
and services would be more evenly spread, employment would be at best at best,
property be minimized and eventually people’s welfare would prosper.
However it seemed that realization of that daydream would
have to wait for while. Now a polemic arose about who was going to do the
feasibility study. Would it be a private consortium or the Government using the
APBN State Budget? This polemic rolled on to signal disharmony among Government
circles in realizing the JSS project which was getting more and more un-hidden.
The latest news was that the Coordinating Minister Hatta
Rajasa had summoned the related parties to sit together to stop the polemics of
this JSS project which was triggered by the Ministry of Finance Agus
Martowardojo. Unfortunately the outcome of the meeting was still complete
darkness because what was agreed upon was only to set up a team called The Team
of Seven which were supposed to give input to Board of Directors of the project
about which option to be taken by the Government in continuing the project.
The Team of Seven, as the team was called, which was
formed in the coordinative meeting for JSS project attended by a number of
ministries were assigned to analyze two models of mega projects which would
connect Java and Sumatra and scheduled to come up with a recommendation in two
weeks time.
With the formation of the Team of Seven, amendment to
Presidential Regulation (Perpres) no 86 year 2011 which served as legal base of
the integrated development in the Sunda Straits would not be necessary meaning
the proposal to revise the Perpres would not be executed. However the confusion
did not end there. The problem was that the formation of the team heightened
anxiety of the provincial Government (Pemda) of Banten and Lampung about the
continuity of JSS project.
Word was out that the Governor of Banten Ratu Atut
Chosiah did not wish to be disappointed for the second time by the Central
Government and asked the Consortium as (Initiator) to involve the Banten
provincial Government and national private companies in the mega project and be
given the opportunity to accomplish the project which might cost not less than
Rp 200 trillion.
Things got more messy as the consortium was already
taking action, beginning with making feasibility study of the project. It
seemed understandable if the related Governor in the JSS project were anxious
because they did not wish the project to stop midway due to internal
disagreement among Government institutions.
To the mass media who was asking for response to the
polemics of JSS yesterday, Governor Atut firmly stated that the initiator had
exercised stages of execution of the ahreed development, moreover they had acted
with reference to the existing Presidential Regulation.
Previously it was reported that the Governor of Banten
Ratu Atut Chosiyah and Governor of Lampung Sjachroedin ZPO had sent a notice to
the Minister of Finance strongly protesting the Minister of Finance Agus
Matowardojo who planned to revise the Presidential Regulation used as reference
by the executor.
The Minister’s action to amend the Perpres was rated as a
one-sided act which not only upset the Governors of Banten and Lampung but also
tend to trigger disharmony within the circles of Coordinating Minister of
Economy and Finance who had been consistently inviting the private sector to
finance infra structure projects. So the Team of Seven must immediately find a
way to accommodate interest of all parties especially the Central Government
and the related provincial Governments. The public was expecting that this polemic would soon end satisfactorily.
The Team of Seven would do their best to uproot the
problem which started the idea of revising the Presidential regulation which
was already used as reference and guideline by private executors to run a
feasibility study. The question was, was there any particular interest to take
advantage of a confused situation or just a matter of mis-communication or lack
of coordination among Government’s institution.
The JSS project was a prestigious project that concerned
the nation’s reputation, so priority of the Team of Seven was to make a
recommendation to continue this strategic project due to its amazing multiplier
effect certainly all to be done sincerely and cool headedly.
Business News - July 27, 2012
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