Democrat Legislators Respond To Jokowi About Whoosh Is The Investment: Who's The Loss?

JAKARTA - Member of Commission VI of the DPR from the Democratic Faction, Herman Khaeron, responded to the statement of the 7th President of the Republic of Indonesia Joko Widodo (Jokowi) who assessed that the railway project was not a loss, but a social investment.

Herman assessed that Jokowi's statement was not wrong, but he questioned the party responsible for the lossful situation.

"It's fine, that's fine, in my opinion. It means, whatever reason to make this happen, this has passed. Right, today's condition is a loss. Now, who will solve this loss?", said Herman Khaeron at the DPR building, Senayan, Jakarta, Friday, October 31.

The Secretary-General of the Democratic Party agreed thatASH was indeed beneficial for the community for a long period of time. However, Herman questioned who should be responsible forPORTsh's loss.

"If indeed this is part of state social investment by increasing productivity, reducing the loss of each moving all existing modes, because it is faster, maybe more time efficient and so on. But who will pay for today's losses?", he said.

Herman said the status of the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train was included in the category of national strategic projects so that the losses were borne by the state. However, said Herman, Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadive had said that he would not issue ABPN to pay bettersh losses.

"This is the problem, Mr. Purbaya said that the state budget does not want to pay anymore. But, if later that this is a national strategic project, then as a social investment, then all losses are borne by the state through the state budget. Fine, no problem," he explained.

In the end, said Herman, the government must also intervene regarding the debt ofminish. Therefore, Herman said that his party at Commission VI of the DPR would ask for an explanation from PT Pilar Sinergi BUMN Indonesia regarding strategic steps in the future so that there would be no losses.

"Of course later we will ask for information, information, what strategic steps in the future can be built so that this does not lose because the losses will be long," he concluded.

Previously, former President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) emphasized that the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail project was an investment, not a loss. The reason is, the loss due to congestion in Jakarta alone reaches IDR 65 trillion per year, while Jabodetabek plus Bandung has lost more than IDR 100 trillion per year.

According to him, the basic principle of mass transportation is public services and not profit seeking. Mass transportation or public transportation is not measured by profit, but from social return on investment.

For example, Social Return on Investment, including reducing carbon emissions, better community productivity, reduced pollution, and faster travel time.

"That's where the social benefits obtained from the construction of mass transportation," said Jokowi.