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Headline: Indonesian Minister Hints at Closing Karet Station Amid KAI’s Efforts to Boost Kereta Bandara’s Performance

In a recent inspection of the Kereta Bandara (train to the airport) service, Indonesian Minister of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), Erick Thohir, inadvertently touched on plans to shut down Stasiun Karet, a train station serving Commuter Line (KRL) passengers. The minister made this revelation following his assessment of the Kereta Bandara service from Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport to Stasiun BNI City.

Initially, Minister Thohir discussed the suboptimal performance of the Kereta Bandara service, which currently serves around 1.5 million passengers annually, falling short of its potential 10 million passenger target. To address this, he suggested improvements within the overall train system infrastructure, using the proposed closure of Stasiun Karet as an example due to its proximity to other KRL stations.

"For instance, we might close down Karet Station, just like we’re discussing how to optimize our system," Minister Thohir stated at Stasiun BNI City in Central Jakarta on Wednesday, January 1, 2024.

Rudi As Aturridha, Director of Business Development and Governance at PT KAI, confirmed the minister’s hints, stating that Stasiun Karet’s closeness to Stasiun BNI City makes it redundant. "People going to Karet can just walk, as we’ve already provided direct services to BNI City, making traffic more efficient," Rudi explained.

While the exact timeline for the closure remains unclear, Rudi mentioned that it hinges on the release of the 2025 Graphical Path Plan (Gapeka) for trains. Alongside this, plans are also underway to extend the Kereta Bandara’s route to Stasiun Sudirman, aiming to attract more users by reducing travel times and improving connectivity with Light Rail Transit (LRT) services.

To boost Kereta Bandara’s appeal, PT KAI is implementing dynamic pricing and progressive tariffs, targeting to increase its ridership to 20% of Soekarno-Hatta Airport’s 56 million annual passengers, around 11.2 million passengers. The extension to Stasiun Sudirman will allow passengers from LRT services to access the Kereta Bandara directly, reducing their walking distance. Furthermore, the journey time between Stasiun BNI City and Stasiun Bandara Soetta is expected to be cut from the current 50 minutes to under 40 minutes.

(ily/eds)

Managers of Private Smelters and Brokers Sentenced in Rp 300 Trillion Timah Corruption Case

Jakarta, Dec 27 (ANTARA) – A panel of judges at the Jakarta Corruption Court (Tipikor) sentenced three private smelter owners and a broker to varying terms of imprisonment for their roles in a Rp 300 trillion state loss corruption case involving illegal timah management.

Sentences Announced on Friday

The sentencing hearing was held at the Jakarta Corruption Court on Friday (Dec 27). The three private smelter owners are Tamron alias Aon, beneficial owner of CV Venus Inti Perkasa and PT Menara Cipta Mulia, Achmad Albani, general manager of CV Venus Inti Perkasa and PT Menara Cipta Mulia, and Hasan Tjie, director of CV Venus Inti Perkasa. The broker involved is Kwan Yung alias Buyung.

Tamron Sentenced to 8 Years

Tamron was sentenced to 8 years in prison and a Rp 1 billion fine for his role in corruption and money laundering. The judge ordered that if the fine is not paid, it would be replaced by an additional 1-year imprisonment.

Tamron was also ordered to pay Rp 3.538.932.640.663 (Rp 3.5 trillion) in reparations. If Tamron is unable to pay, he will serve an additional 5-year prison sentence.

The judge ruled that evidence seized would be considered as part of the reparations payment. If the seized evidence is more or less than the required reparations, it will be returned or additional jail time will be served, respectively.

Tamron was found guilty of violating Article 2 of the Anti-Corruption Law (UU Tipikor), in conjunction with Article 18 of the same law, Article 55 paragraph (1) point 1 of the Criminal Code (KUHP), and Article 3 or 4 of the Law on the Prevention and Eradication of the Laundering of Proceeds from Crime (UU P3P).

Albani, Tjie, and Buyung Sentenced to 5 Years

Achmad Albani, Hasan Tjie, and Kwan Yung alias Buyung were each sentenced to 5 years in prison and a Rp 750 million fine, with an alternative sentence of 6 months of imprisonment if the fine cannot be paid. The judge ruled that Albani, Tjie, and Buyung had violated Article 2 paragraph 1 or Article 3, in conjunction with Article 18 of the Anti-Corruption Law, in conjunction with Article 55 paragraph (1) point 1 of the Criminal Code.

Sentences Lighter than Prosecution’s Demand

The sentences were lighter than the prosecution’s demands. Tamron was originally charged with 14 years in prison, a Rp 1 billion fine, and Rp 3.6 trillion in reparations, with an alternative sentence of 8 years in prison.

Meanwhile, Albani, Tjie, and Buyung were charged with 8 years in prison and a Rp 750 million fine, with an alternative sentence of 6 months in prison.

Corruption Timeline

The prosecution accused the defendants, along with other suspects, of running a long-standing corruption scheme involving illegal timah starting in 2004. Tamron, Albani, Tjie, and Buyung were allegedly involved in purchasing and collecting illegal timah from miners operating outside their concessions, then collaborating with PT Timah, a state-owned enterprise, for processing without conducting feasibility studies, leading to inflated production costs. Theiractions resulted in a state loss of Rp 300 trillion.

Erick Thinks Closure of KRL Karet Station: The Reason Behind

Private Bos Smelter Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison for $300M Timah Corporation Corruption Case