Coordinating Economic Minister Hatta Rajasa said Japan had pledged to develop Indonesia`s special economic zones in several parts of the country at a cost of 52.9 billion US dollars.
“In the first phase, economic corridors will be built in six locations in Indonesia,” Minister Rajasa told newsmen here on Monday, after returning from a working visit to Japan last week where he met with Japanese business leaders.
Japan was interested to build economic zones in the country, Rajasa added, to support its investment in Indonesia. The Indonesian government has offered a concept on the project initially focusing on infrastructure.
The project will follow the model of those already constructed on Java island, the minister said.
“I want something concrete here, namely building infrastructure in the six economic corridors, with Java as a model,” he said.
Rajasa spoke specifically about the construction of mass rapid transit or mass transportation system for the greater Jakarta region that includes Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi, the towns encircling Jakarta.
“Starting from MRT the discussion broadens to building seaports, airports and other such big projects,” Rajasa said, adding that the projects offered to Japan did not include infrastructure projects in the eastern parts of the country.
