Jakarta. The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) says it is actively investigating allegations of corruption in the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail project, known as Whoosh.

Acting Deputy for Enforcement and Execution Asep Guntur Rahayu told reporters at KPK headquarters that the agency does not wait for formal complaints to begin inquiries.

“If we detect corruption, it is our duty to collect information and evidence. We act proactively whenever there is information suggesting wrongdoing,” he said on Tuesday.

The KPK’s comments follow former Chief Security Affairs Minister Mahfud MD, who said on his YouTube channel that the Whoosh project costs about $52 million (Rp 862.2 billion) per kilometer in Indonesia, nearly three times higher than $17–18 million per kilometer in China.

Asep urged the public, including Mahfud, to share any relevant information that could help expedite the investigation. “If anyone has information, we welcome it to facilitate and speed up the process,” he added.

National Economic Council Chairman Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan defended the $7.3 billion project, saying that public transportation projects rarely turn a profit and require government subsidies, which must be carefully managed. Luhut, an economic adviser to President Prabowo Subianto, said he had coordinated with sovereign wealth fund Danantara CEO Rosan Roeslani to manage the project’s debt gradually. 

Whoosh operator Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) reported losses from its joint venture with China, with debt payments exceeding annual revenue. The state-owned railway company must pay Rp 2 trillion annually to China to cover interest payments, which exceed the project’s projected annual revenue of Rp 1.5 trillion.

Mahfud argued that the financial difficulties came from decisions made during former President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s administration, including Indonesia’s rejection of a Japanese loan with a  0.1 percent rate in favor of a higher-rate Chinese loan.

Indonesia financed 75 percent of Whoosh through a China Development Bank loan at 2 percent over 40 years, but pandemic delays and land disputes pushed costs higher to 3.4 percent.

Launched commercially in 2023, the Kereta Cepat Indonesia China (KCIC) consortium carries 20,000–30,000 passengers daily but remains unprofitable, reporting a Rp 1.6 trillion loss in the first half of 2025. Jakarta is now negotiating with Beijing to restructure the Chinese loan.

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