Attending The Railway Forum, The Deputy Minister Of Industry Admits That RI Has Not Been Able To Produce These Two Train Components

Caption: Wamenperin Faisol Riza. Photo: Screenshot/YouTube Kemenperin

JAKARTA - Deputy Minister of Industry (Wamenperin) Faisol Riza admitted that Indonesia has not been able to produce composite brake blocks and domestic train wheels.

Initially, Faisol said that he and the Deputy Minister of SOEs Kartika Wirjoatmodjo visited PT INKA (Persero) recently.

Then, Faisol said, PT INKA (Persero) received a fairly large trainset order from PT KAI and New Zealand.

After seeing firsthand the details of the components assembled by PT INKA, the Deputy Minister of Industry found that the BUMN had not been able to produce composite brake blocks and railroad wheels.

"I have seen the details of the components assembled at INKA in order to meet the needs of the order. However, there is one that made a long discussion at that time, I and the Deputy Minister of BUMN Pak Kartika, that we have not been able to produce the train wheels and train brakes domestically," said Faisol in the Focus Group Discussion (FGD). ) Domestic Railway Development Potential monitored online through the Ministry of Industry's YouTube, Friday, July 25.

Faisol said, the composite brake block and the train wheel were once made domestically, but when the trial was carried out it was even cracked.

"Because the composite of the blocks and train wheels cannot be known properly. It was produced, but then after the trial it turned out to be cracked," he said.

So, said Faisol, it was decided to import the two components so that they could meet orders.

"This is a question for me and Pak Kartika at that time, why can't we fulfill or build the wheels of this train or brake block with components or industrial power in the country," explained Faisol.

The former chairman of Commission VI of the DPR once asked the Director of Industry, Transportation Equipment and Defense Equipment of the Directorate General of ILMATE of the Ministry of Industry regarding the manufacture of the two components. Then, information was obtained that the production of the two components was very difficult.

"I asked the Director of Transportation that it was not easy, but it should be possible," he said.

According to Faisol, there are many experts from campus, BRIN and industryists to work together to gather various kinds of information to prepare the required ingredients, be it from steel, carbon and so on.

As well as the process of warming up enough so that it can meet domestic needs. "That's roughly what happened at that time," explained Faisol.

Through the discussion forum, Faisol hopes that there will be recommendations or suggestions obtained to answer the fulfillment of the needs of the two components in the country.

"And today we held 1 FGD inviting all of you, industrialists here to answer questions, can we make or meet the needs of train wheels and brake blocks from INKA, especially with the potential that exists within the country," he concluded.