Saemangeum Still Insists on Developing Giant Sea Wall

Saemangeum Still Insists on Developing Giant Sea Wall

Jakarta – Even though Jakarta Provincial Government prefers Holland to South Korea in developing giant sea wall, Korea Agency for Saemangeum Development and Investment (KASDI) still shows its determination to be involved in the megaproject.

Even, KASDI offered aid related to national capital integrated coastal development or known as giant sea wall (GSW) in Jakarta’s northern coast.

Saemangeum Development and Investment Agency Commissioner, Lee Byoung Gook, said his office will give aid to support the project construction.

“South Korean government will give aid through IDA [official development assistance] for GSW construction project,” he said in City Hall on Wednesday (1/21).

In the first phase, his office will give aid through ODA or technical guidance for USD 10 million since Saemangeum has implemented GSW.

“Our aid is ODA, official construction assistance, for USD 10 million for the beginning,” he said.

Moreover, Byoung Gook explained his office will research this project. After that, it will decide what kind of aid will be given for the next phase.

“We need time for research. After that, we will determine the project direction,” he added.

Jakarta Governor, Basuki Tjahja Purnama, said his office cannot just accept the aid from Saemangeum.

He said Saemangeum’s representative has to meet Economy Coordinating Minister and National Development Plannning Agency Head since national capital integrated coastal development (NCICD) is a joint project between Jakarta Provincial Government and central government.

When he served as Jakarta Deputy Governor, Basuki said GSW which will be built in Jakarta should use Maasvlakte Sea Wall version as built in Rotterdam, Holland.

After observing Saemangeum Sea Wall in South Korea, the GSW there is used to block big wave. In Jakarta, GSW is built to prevent from drowning since Jakarta is located under sea level.

“We will make it to prevent Jakarta from drowning since it is located under sea level,” he said in November 2014.

Jakarta Deputy Governor for Industry, Trade, and Transportation, Sutanto Soehodho, said his office welcomed the offer since Saemangeum is experienced to develop GSW. However, there should be special mechanism since there is no provincial government involved.

“This is the cooperation between central and local government. Since Saemangeum wants to support it, we welcome it as they have technical experience,” he said.

The aid form, Tanto said, is still unknown whether technical or financial aids. If it is used gift mechanism, he added, the aid is usually in form of technical guidance.

“If it is gift, it is usually technical assistance. We have not known yet it is gift or loan,” he said. Meanwhile, currently, its construction process is still under technical planning. For implementation phase, he added, provincial government cooperates with central government to form a team.

More Intensive

The aim is to discuss related to the more intensive construction. This team, Tanto continued, comprises Economy Ministry, Bappenas, Public Works and People’s Housing (PUPR) Ministry, Maritime and Fishery (KP) Ministry, and Jakarta Provincial Government.

“Later, the form of integrated team to construct GSW will be more intensive to prepare implementation phase. So far, it is still technical planning,” he said.

GSW project has basic design of Garuda bird on 1,250-hectare land and its purpose is to solve flood often striking Jakarta and to meet people’s water needs.

For planning and design, it has been constructed since 2014 and will be completed in 2022. Then, it will be continued with residence development from 2030 to 2040.

The total investment needs for NCICD project is predicted to reach IDR 600 trillion comprising three construction phases. Phase A is the reclamation of 17 islands as well as enhancement and escalation Jakarta’s sea wall for 63 kilometers, phase B is the development of outermost wall construction, and phase C is the development of GSW.

According to the data from Bappenas Ministry, phase A and B construction need IDR 87 trillion. budget.

Meanwhile, phase C will begin construction from 2018 to 2025 and will cost IDR 20 trillion while reclamation costs IDR 220 trillion, transportation costs IDR 120 trillion, and sanitation costs IDR 144 trillion.

Meanwhile, PUPR Ministry stated the budget needs to construct phase A is predicted to keep increasing.

PUPR Ministry Water Resource Director General, Mudijadi, said the increasing budget is caused by the number of wall length to be worked on increases from the previous 32 to the current 52 kilometers.

“After trace calculation, the length is 52 kilometers. Since the length increases, the budget also increases,” Mudijadi said as met in House’s Building on Wednesday (1/21).

However, he cannot disclose the exact additional budget to conduct the project since currently his office is still calculating for detailed budget needs.

“In one to two weeks later, the number will be revealed,” Mudijadi said. In this year, PUPR Ministry has provided IDR 100 billion budget to construct the project. (Bisnis Indonesia)