C. Kalimantan coal railway project PQ tender extended

The construction of the 185-kilometer Puruk Cahu - Bangkuang coal railway project in Central Kalimantan will likely be delayed because 15 investors have asked the government to extend the deadline for its prequalification.

Dedi S. Priatna, a senior official at the national development planning board Bappenas, said in Jakarta on Monday that the 15 investors taking part in the tender had asked for the extension of the deadline for the filing of tender documents for the prequalification.

He said that the investors needed longer time to fulfill two of the requirements for the prequalification ? to provide a document indicating that they have cash of about US$1 million and total asset of at least $10 million.

?In order to be able to meet the requirement, the investors needed to form a consortium with other tender participants,? he said. The government has finally agreed to extend the deadline to June 4 from May 21 as originally scheduled, he added.

The investors are: 1)Vestindo Primaland, 2) Itochu Corporation, 3) PT Jasa Power Indonesia, 4) Il & FS Transportation Networks Limited , 5) Soma-Ircon-Avantika Consortium, 6) China Communications Construction Company Ltd, 7) PT MAP Resources Consortiums, 8) PT Darshanaa Consortium, 9) PT Bakrie Indo Infrastructure, 10) PT Mega Guna Ganda Semesta, 11) PT Industri Kereta Api, 12) PT Barito Pacific Group, 13) PT Mandiri Sani Pratama, 14) PT Trans Kutai Kencana and 15) PT Sarida Utama.

The construction cost for the project may also increase to $2.2 billion from the initial estimate of $1.5 billion, he added. (*)