Kaleidoscope 2023: High Speed Train Inaugurated By President Jokowi Amid Polemics

President Joko Widodo accompanied by Mrs. Iriana inaugurated the Jakarta-Bandung High Speed Train (KCJB)bulge at Halim Station, Jakarta, Monday, October 2, 2023. (BPMI Setpres/Kris)

JAKARTA The Jakarta-Bandung High Speed Train (KCJB) was finally inaugurated by President Joko Widodo on October 2, 2023. The inauguration of the train at a speed of 350 kilometers per hour is a history for transportation in the country.

Indonesia became the first country in Southeast Asia to have a high-speed train, which was later named Right, abbreviating as Saving Time, Optimal Operation, Great System.

"By saying bismillahirrahmanirrahim, I declare that the Jakarta Bandung Fast Train is operational," Jokowi said in his remarks.

According to the President, KCJB is a new thing for Indonesia. The President also hopes that his staff will not be afraid to learn and try new things in developing a number of mass transportation projects in the country, although in the process unexpected things, difficulties, problems, and imperfections will arise.

However, the emergence of the Fast Train Rights caused a polemic. The debate over the KCJB project leads to the amount of costs incurred. The project cost is IDR 114.24 trillion or swelled by IDR 27.09 trillion from the original plan of IDR 86.67 trillion.

In addition to the swelling costs, the KCJB completion target is also delayed from the original target of being completed in 2019 backwards to 2023. The swelling project costs and the delayed completion target are due to the COVID-19 pandemic which has lowered the world economy sector and has an impact on the continuity of KCJB development.

One of the hardest to criticize KCJB is senior economist Faisal Basri. He once called this project unfit for business so that it was almost certainly difficult to return the capital. He even dared to claim that even until the end of the project would not close the investment that had already come out.

"It is estimated that until the end of the world there will be no return on investment," said Faisal, quoted by Kompas.

Criticism was also made by the Chancellor of the Pramadina University Didik Rachbini, who said that the government would not stop the KCJB project even though this project had many polemics. According to him, Jokowi will continue the project regardless of the risks.

"Pak Jokowi will never stop this, especially since it's already running. So any risks will be continued. I don't see any signs of stopping," he said, in a virtual discussion, Thursday, December 9.

According to Didik, the Fast Train project will only increase the burden on the state's debt even though it is not through the state budget (APBN).

"As people who understand the infrastructure project economy will criticize. This will add to our iCore, the debt is large, although not through the state budget. But this is an infrastructure debt that is swollen, it has an impact on the economy and later we will not enjoy anything. It will be drained before receiving this result because the period is long," he explained.

Pros and cons are common. But transportation observer Djoko Setijoworno has tightened the presence of the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train marking the history and civilization of transportation in Indonesia. For Djoko, the high-speed train is the future of transportation in Indonesia despite the controversy.

The debate did not occur only in Indonesia, but also in many countries. Maybe only in China there are no pros and cons, because the country's political system does not provide a prolonged discussion space," Djoko said in his statement.

Meanwhile, business expert Rhenald Kasali assesses that the Jakarta Bandung high-speed rail project is not just a matter of business calculations. Regarding the KCJB project, it will be difficult to return the capital, maybe it is true, but he sees this as a matter of branding'' or building a country's image.

"There are also those who say why building the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train now has a flyover so fast. Still, I think we need a reputation. Try whether you are not proud, there is an image, our transportation has increased," said Rhenald Kasali at the KAI Expo 2023 Space X Hub event at the Jakarta Convention Center (JCC), last Friday, September 29.

"How then the port was built, the train was built. I think this is proud and I am very happy to see my achievements and my country is more valued than in the past," he added.