Tanjung Jati B power project offered to Japan's Sumitomo Corp
Tuesday, December 19 2000 - 04:00 AM WIB
The government has offered a number of infrastructure projects including the delayed Tanjung Jati B power and several toll road projects to Japan's Sumitomo Corporation, Kompas daily reported on Tuesday.
Coordinating Minister for Economy Rizal Ramli said on Monday that the offer was formally conveyed to Sumitomo's president during the latter's meeting with him. "We hope the offer will be accepted by the Japanese company," the minister told reporters following the meeting.
The Tanjung Jati power project is one of the country's large scale power projects which were delayed due to the government's retrenchment program to cope with the economic crisis which hit the country late in 1997. The project located in Jepara, central Java is 60 percent completed.
Rizal said that the Tanjung Jati B power project should be continued to prevent Indonesia from suffering an acute power shortage within the next few years. With the average 12 percent growth rate, Indonesia will suffer an acute electricity crisis in 2004 or 2005 if the power generating capacity is not expanded, he added.
Sumitomo has invested some US$300 million in Indonesia. (*)