Indonesia kicks off Japan-funded expansion of capital's train network

Great news.

Wonderful news. Japan can learn from China and build infrastructure instead just giving loans. This should be done all over the Global South. Win win situation and not a debt trap.

Jakarta needs it but that loan may both figuratively and literally sink.

They sucked out all of the groundwater and the entire city is sinking. The Indonesian government is abandoning the future "Atlantis" and moving to Nusantara.

Rather generous of Japan after Indonesia's surprising flip-flop on their rapid transit some years ago.

"Indonesia kicks off Japan-funded expansion of capital's train network."

Great transport logistics contributes much to a nation economic growth. Good job for both Japan and Indonesia.

Wonderful news. Japan can learn from China and build infrastructure instead just giving loans.

LOL, I guess you dont know that it was Japan that built China's infrastructure and it is China that is screwing the global south with its debt traps.

Rail based mass transit systems are practical and essential for a region's health.

Here in South California we once had the world's largest rail mass transit system. Then Standard Oil and General Motors and Firestone were allowed to buy the mass transit system, tear the tracks out of the ground, pile the rail cars into mounds and burn them up.

Fast forward sixty years, and we are trying to rebuild our rail-based mass transit system, at a cost of about a billion dollars per mile.

I lived in Indonesia for 6 years and the pure amount of under the table money and wealthy pocket lining to get anything is amazing and completely wasteful. I would suspect 70% of the money will be wasted and used in corruption lining the pockets of politicians pockets. Nothing in Indonesia gets done without tips and the amount of pocket lining is amazing. Japan I hope will hold a detailed audit and ISO accounting standards and ensure most of the money provided is actually used properly. That said I know it won’t happen.

Very cool. Modern public transit is a wise investment for all nations. Today Indonesia also launched the underground light rail project in Bali with a Chinese partner.

https://www.railjournal.com/passenger/metros/work-starts-on-bali-urban-subway/

Indonesia actually makes US politics look functional. It is one of the most corrupt countries in the world and Jokowi is leaving it a much more religiously intolerant country than when he started and his successor is a war criminal who lead death squads in the 70’s. The loan is isn’t even a drop in the ocean compared to what he gladly accepted from China. To boot, he even changed the constitution to allow his son to be the next vice president and eventual president. Duterte in the Philippines did the same thing but he was too dumb, openly cozying up to China. I’m pretty sure this guy, Jokowi, not Putin, is Trump’s idol. Creating a political dynasty without actually becoming a dictator.

$1 billion, 70% is pocketed by government officials coming to Japan as tourists.

Indonesia was smart to choose Japan's rail system which is the very best and will last over Chinese made as they take short cuts whenever it suits them, and which are famous for not taking those cuts.

If President Joko Widodo will not admit that it was a mistake to award the Jakarta-Bandung section to China, then he should not be providing any loans.

If they had built it using the Japanese plan, it would have been completed by now, and they would have avoided falling into a debt trap where their deficit with China grows with each operation.

A Chinese railway has never been properly completed, and construction costs, construction time, and casualties during construction only increase.

They will probably say very nice things to you before accepting the order, and they will probably even offer bribes, but it will not benefit the people of that country at all.