ASIATODAY.ID, JAKARTA – Once hailed as a symbol of Indonesia’s modernization and partnership with China, the Jakarta–Bandung High-Speed Rail (KCJB) Whoosh project is now facing mounting allegations of corruption and financial mismanagement.
According to Ubedilah Badrun, a political analyst from Jakarta State University (UNJ), the multibillion-dollar project has proven inefficient, poorly governed, and has already recorded massive losses since its launch in late 2023.
“From the very beginning, this project failed to meet the standards of good governance. Many public policy observers warned that it would not be profitable and could instead burden the state,” Ubedilah said on Tuesday, October 21, 2025.
He revealed that the Whoosh line posted a Rp4.1 trillion (approximately USD 260 million) loss in its first full year of operation in 2024. By mid-2025, losses continued to pile up, reaching another Rp1.6 trillion (USD 100 million).
“It’s a loss-making project from the start, and now it’s becoming a financial burden—especially since the deficit is being covered by the state budget (APBN),” he added.
Four-Year Delay and Breach of Contract with China
Ubedilah also criticized the project’s inefficiency, citing a four-year delay and alleged breach of its initial construction timeline with Chinese contractors.
“The original agreement targeted completion in 2019, but the project was only finished in 2023. It’s a clear sign of inefficiency. Indonesia built a so-called monumental project, but through outdated and nontransparent practices,” he asserted.
Strong Indications of Corruption
Beyond the financial losses and delays, Ubedilah warned of strong signs of corruption within the project’s budgeting process.
“When public policies become inconsistent, budgets are constantly revised, and costs balloon without accountability — those are classic indicators of corruption,” he explained.
The KCJB project, valued at over USD 7 billion, was initially touted as a flagship initiative under Indonesia’s partnership with China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). It was also promoted as being free of state guarantees, though recent reports suggest otherwise, as mounting debts and operational losses have been absorbed by the national budget.
Prabowo: ‘No One Is Untouchable Anymore’
Responding to growing concerns over corruption in state projects, President Prabowo Subianto reaffirmed his administration’s zero-tolerance stance on graft.
“We are determined that no corruption case will go uninvestigated. There are no more untouchables in Indonesia,” Prabowo declared during a cabinet meeting marking his first year in office, at the State Palace on Monday, October 20, 2025.
The President revealed that the government had redirected Rp306 trillion (around USD 19 billion) from corruption-prone budgets toward programs that directly benefit citizens. Law enforcement agencies, he added, had managed to recover more than Rp1,000 trillion (USD 64 billion) in potential state losses.
Furthermore, Prabowo’s administration successfully reclaimed 4 million hectares of illegal palm oil plantations and shut down illegal mining operations that had cost the nation hundreds of trillions of rupiah annually.
“More than 4 million hectares of forest land and illegal plantations have been returned to the people. No one can continue stealing from Indonesia’s wealth anymore,” Prabowo stated firmly.
Calls for Full Audit and Transparency
In light of the Whoosh project’s financial turmoil and governance issues, civil society groups and academics are now calling for a comprehensive forensic audit to uncover the real causes of the losses.
Analysts argue that transparency on funding sources, debt restructuring with China, and project cost overruns is crucial to restore public trust and ensure fiscal accountability.
The Jakarta–Bandung High-Speed Rail — once celebrated as Indonesia’s leap into modern infrastructure — is now at risk of becoming a monument to corruption and mismanagement.
As President Prabowo’s administration pledges to clean up state projects and restore fiscal discipline, the Whoosh saga stands as a critical test of whether Indonesia can balance development ambition with integrity and transparency. (AT Network)
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