Emil Salim Criticizes Proposed High-Speed Railway Project

Jakarta (Antara Bali) - Senior economist and former minister Emil Salim has criticized the government's planned high-speed railway project, saying it is not in accordance with efforts to address a social gap in the community.

The high-speed railway project should be a lesser priority than the sea toll development projects, Emil Salim said during a seminar organized by the Indonesian Political Scientist Association (AIPI) on Thursday.

"I welcome the sea toll projects, but amidst talks of a sea toll program, suddenly a high-speed railway project in Java comes out," Salim, who teaches Economics at the University of Indonesia, said.

The high-speed railway line will not have a bigger impact than the sea toll program, which has a vast scope, he pointed out.

Foreign investors are eying the Jakarta-Surabaya high-speed railway project; as once they get the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway projects they will automatically win the bigger project because their operational systems are similar.

"This investment will include the development of infrastructure, such as telecommunications, train coaches, railway lines, and others. Is this development high priority?" Salim asked.

The government should be giving priority to projects that address social inequality, because 82 percent of the gross domestic income is contributed by regions outside Java, Sumatra and Bali, while 2 percent comes from Papua and 18 percent from other regions.

"Where is the voice of the parties frequently urging for social justice?" the former Population and Environmental Affairs Minister asked. (WDY)