November 4, 2025 | 02:13 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Prabowo Subianto has promised that the government will cover the annual debt payments for the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train, Whoosh, amounting to Rp1.2 trillion per year. This statement was made by Prabowo during the inauguration of the New Tanah Abang Station in Central Jakarta on Tuesday, November 4, 2025.
"There's no problem as we will pay Rp1.2 trillion per year," said Prabowo after the inauguration of the New Tanah Abang Station.
He stated that the government is committed to paying the Whoosh debt. According to him, the high-speed train is an essential public transportation that can reduce traffic congestion, lower pollution, and facilitate travel.
"We are at the edge of best practices. A symbol of Indonesia-China cooperation. The President of the Republic of Indonesia takes over the responsibility. We are strong, we have the money, the embezzled money is saved," he said.
According to Prabowo, he has studied the Whoosh project and stated that there are no issues. "I will take responsibility for all things Whoosh. Indonesia is not a random country, I don't think there is a problem," said Prabowo.
Prabowo also asked state-owned railway operator PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) not to worry about the Whoosh debt payments. He said that all parties must strive to serve the people and that all facilities are a joint responsibility. "So, I am now responsible for Whoosh," he concluded.
Prabowo argued that Whoosh should not be judged based on profit and loss. He noted that transportation systems worldwide do not solely focus on profits but prioritize calculating the benefits for the people.
"That's how it is around the world. This is called Public Service Obligation (PSO). The Minister of Transportation said earlier that for all our trains, the government subsidizes 60 percent, and the people pay 20 percent. This is the presence of the state," he said.
The Whoosh project was initially estimated to cost US$6.02 billion. Along the way, a cost overrun occurred, increasing the total to US$7.22 billion. Of the total cost, about 75 percent was financed through loans from the China Development Bank, amounting to US$5.415 billion. With an annual interest rate of 2 percent for the principal debt and 3.4 percent for the cost overrun, the project consortium PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia China (KCIC) must pay US$120.9 million annually for interest.
Ferry Firmansyah contributed to the report
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