Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan announced on Thursday that Indonesia had offered a railway project in Bali to Chinese investors.
“We offered some projects, including railway development in Bali,” Luhut was quoted as saying by Antara while on a visit to Beijing.
Luhut said the railway would connect Denpasar to Ubud in Gianyar regency and Singaraja in Buleleng regency. It is expected that tourists will use the railway to travel from densely populated Denpasar to the two regencies.
“So far, tourists are concentrated in Nusa Dua in Badung regency and Denpasar. So, [with the railway] they will later spread to the northern part of the island,” he said.
He said construction was expected to start in 2018 as the project’s feasibility study had been completed by Udayana University in cooperation with the World Bank.
Luhut will be in Beijing until Saturday to meet with Chinese entrepreneurs as a follow up to a meeting between President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and Chinese President Xi Jinping in May.
He is accompanied by National Development Planning Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro, Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) head Thomas Lembong and state-owned enterprises directors and Indonesia businesspeople.
Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/06/15/indonesia-offers-bali-railway-project-to-china.html