JAKARTA, March 30 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia's State-owned Enterprises Minister Erick Thohir ensured that the Jakarta-Bandung fast train project will continue regardless of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The key performance indicators that we show to President Joko Widodo, should continue, including that on the fast train project," Thohir told journalists on Monday.
Due to the current COVID-19 outbreak, foreign workers especially those from China involved in the high-speed train project could not enter Indonesia, the minister said.
"However, the project is still going on because Indonesia has large population totaling hundreds of millions of people," Thohir was quoted by Indonesia's national news agency Antara as saying, adding that such public transportation will be prioritized.
Meanwhile, Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said in the long run, the Jakarta-Bandung express train line will go to Surabaya (in East Java province) via the southern line, so that it can accommodate the transportation needs of residents in southern Java.
According to Sumadi, the government wanted to accommodate alternative land transportation for people in southern Java's areas including Garut, Tasikmalaya, Purwokerto, Yogyakarta and Solo.
Related to the existence of hundreds of Chinese workers working on the project are currently still in China, he said it did not hamper the target of completing the project by the end of 2021.
