Indonesia to Prioritize Sunda Strait Bridge

Anak Krakatau volcano spews ash and smoke in the Sunda Strait on October 27, 2010. The Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center in Bandung, West Java has set the status of the volcano, situated east in the Sunda Strait, as alert, according to the local media.

Pekan Baru, Indonesia (News Today) - The government will prioritize the development of Sunda Strait bridge rather than the Malacca Strait, Coordinating Minister for Economy Hatta Rajasa said here on Tuesday. Hatta said the government wanted to construct the Sunda Strait bridge first in its effort to build the Sumatra-Java region into a development center for the national interest.

"We should have our domestic strategy to integrate with Java-Sumatra corridor as center of economic development with the Sunda Strait bridge mega project," Hatta said during a working visit here on Tuesday.He explained that the 54.33 meters long Malacca Strait mega project was also part of the government’s plan including the Asean connectivity plan, but national strategy should be a priority.

"Our national interest and strategy of the Java-Sumatra connectivity should be prioritized, otherwise it will kill all the ports in Java island," Hatta said. According to him the government remained supporting the Malacca Strait bridge development with Sunda Stait bridge project as a priority.

"The Malacca Strait bridge project is also our national strategy and therefore we have to support it as part of the Asean connectivity," Hatta said.

Meanwhile, Strait of Malacca Partners Managing Director Lim Sue Beng as one of the Malacca Strait bridge contractors said the Malaysian government had prepared US$12.75 billion to build the bridge to connect Dumai in Riau, Indonesia, and Malacca in Malaysia.

"With China, we prepare the US$12.75 billion for the construction of the Malacca Strait bridge," he said.

Source : kompas

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