It Takes 40 Years, The Construction Of A Giant Sea Embankment Will Eat Funds Of IDR 934.5 Trillion

Press conference on Giant Sea Wall (Photo: Aris Nurjani / VOI)

JAKARTA - Minister of Defense (Menhan) Prabowo Subianto revealed that the construction of a giant sea embankment project or Giant Sea Wall along the north coast (Pantura) of Java is estimated to require funds of US$60 billion or equivalent to Rp934.5 trillion (exchange rate of Rp15,575 per US dollar).

Previously, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto conveyed that the estimated total budget needs for the construction of the Sea Embankment and regional development as well as the provision of raw water and sanitation amounted to Rp164.1 trillion.

In building Giant Sea Wall, Airlangga conveyed that based on a study conducted by the Ministry of PUPR, there are 3 (three) stages of construction of the Java Island Sea Embankment that will be carried out, namely:

- Phase A is the construction of the Pantai and Sungai Embankments, as well as the construction of a pump and polder system in the North Coast of Jakarta. Phase A is currently being worked on by the Government through the Ministry of PUPR together with the Regions with a budget of IDR 16.1 trillion from the Ministry of PUPR of IDR 10.3 trillion and the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government IDR 5.8 trillion.

- Phase B through the construction of the Sea Embankment with an open concept (open dipe) on the West side of the North Coast of Jakarta which must be carried out before 2030 assuming land/land subsidence cannot be stopped, with details of the construction of embankments and toll roads amounting to Rp91 trillion and the development of land around the embankment of around Rp57 trillion. So that the total budget is Rp148 trillion.

- The third or last phase, namely Phase C, is carried out by the construction of the Sea Embankment on the East side of the North Coast of Jakarta which must be carried out before 2040. If the rate of land/land subsidence continues after 2040, then the concept of the Open Sea Embankment will be modified into a closed sea embankment. For this phase, there is no projected budget requirement.

"If we look at it, for the first phase alone IDR 164 trillion. Maybe I've heard all of it later, it will take up 50 billion US dollars to 60 billion US dollars, maybe more," Prabowo said while attending the Java Island area protection strategy event through the construction of a coastal embankment and sea wall in the grand ballroom kempinski, Wednesday, January 10.

Prabowo said that he could not accept that there were still many people in the Pantura Jawa area who were threatened with drowning as the ground surface continued to erode every year.

"Therefore, I assign the Defense University which is under my responsibility to conduct studies. Of course, we are back that the real answer is the Giant Sea Wall concept," he said.

Prabowo said the construction of Giant Sea Wall will take 40 years to come so that a strong commitment from the government and political leaders is needed to continue and determine the project.

"Maybe, if we say we start massive development, let's say the next 3-4 years, maybe we won't see the completion of Giant Sea Wall. Giant Sea Wall's success may be realized 25-30 years, even 40 years to come," he said.

Prabowo said that his party supports the initiative of the Coordinating Ministry for the Economy to start the construction of Giant Sea Wall and will immediately review and encourage the development on the north coast.

"The Coordinating Minister for the Economy and several other ministers agreed that we would form a task force or work group to review and accelerate preparations," he said.

Prabowo said the construction of the giant sea embankment was very important for the people of Pantura who were threatened with drowning.

"Various Ministries, BRIN, underline the very big threat, namely land subsidence due to geological conditions and also due to strong currents from the North," he explained.