Purbaya Responds to Jokowi's Statement on Whoosh Project

October 29, 2025 | 03:31 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa has responded to former president Joko Widodo or Jokowi's statement regarding the Bandung-Jakarta high-speed train project, Whoosh. Jokowi had previously asserted that the fundamental principle of mass transportation projects, like Whoosh, is for public service, not for seeking profit.

"There is some truth in it, because Whoosh actually has a regional development mission," Purbaya told journalists at Menara Bank Mega on Tuesday, October 28, 2025.

However, Purbaya noted that the areas along the Whoosh route have not yet been adequately developed. This development, he stressed, is necessary to ensure the economy surrounding the project location can also grow.

The Whoosh project has generated wide discussion after Danantara entered into negotiations with China to restructure the project's debt. Purbaya has been firm on the matter, stating that he does not want the State Budget (APBN) to be used to pay off Whoosh's debt.

The total investment in the Indonesia-China High-Speed Train (KCIC) project is substantial, reaching US$7.27 billion, or nearly Rp121 trillion. Seventy-five percent of this cost was financed through loans from the China Development Bank, carrying an annual interest rate of 2 percent.

Jokowi's Rationale: Public Service Over Profit

The high-speed train is a signature infrastructure policy during President Jokowi's term. When approached in Mangkubumen, Solo City, Central Java, on Monday, October 27, 2025, Jokowi refused to comment directly on Purbaya's previous emphasis that the Whoosh debt would not be borne by the APBN.

Instead, Jokowi focused on explaining the background and core purpose of the project's development. He stated that Whoosh was built primarily to address the chronic congestion in the Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, Bekasi (Jabodetabek), and Bandung regions.

According to him, the economic loss due to congestion in Jakarta alone is estimated at Rp65 trillion per year, a figure that could climb to more than Rp100 trillion per year for the combined Jabodetabek and Bandung areas.

Therefore, the government is designing an integrated mass transportation system, which includes commuter trains, MRT, LRT, airport trains, and high-speed trains.

Jokowi concluded by reaffirming the project's mission: "The basic principle of mass transportation is public service. Not for seeking profit, but for social benefits, social return on investment."

Septia Ryanthie contributed to the report

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