Jakarta. President Prabowo Subianto on Monday summoned former transport minister Ignasius Jonan and Chief Infrastructure and Regional Development Minister Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY) to the Presidential Palace in Central Jakarta to discuss the widening controversy over debt payments tied to the Jakarta–Bandung high-speed rail project, known as Whoosh.

AHY said the meeting discussed the debt controversy surrounding the line, which is operated by the Kereta Cepat Indonesia China (KCIC) consortium. He said he is seeking direct guidance from Prabowo, adding that there are multiple options on the table.  

“The state will be present to find a solution. The State Budget (APBN) can be part of the payment scheme,” he said, adding that the exact mechanism still requires further discussion.

He said the government is exploring a separation between infrastructure management and the commercial profit targets of the operator, saying there will likely be some form of burden sharing.

Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa had previously ruled out using state funds to pay the bill, saying that sovereign wealth fund Danantara, which oversees state-owned companies and their assets, had enough dividends to repay around Rp 2 trillion ($120.3 million) each year. 

AHY said his office is coordinating closely with Danantara and is engaged in ongoing talks with Chinese counterparts over the restructuring of the debt. Danantara couple of weeks ago also pushed back on claims that Beijing had approved a 60-year repayment term, saying that refinancing negotiations remain open.

The Whoosh project, Southeast Asia’s first high-speed train, cost about US$7.27 billion, with roughly 75 percent financed by China Development Bank loans at 2 percent annual interest. Construction began in 2016, and commercial service started in October 2023.

Separately, Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) President Director Bobby Rasyidin said KCIC supports the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in its ongoing investigation into alleged markups related to the project, and confirmed that officials questioned so far have cooperated.

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