Japan To Develop South Tangerang As Smart City

Tokyo, Oct 9 (ANTARA) - Japan will develop South Tangerang as a smart city�, as part of the Smart Community Initiatives program to be jointly implemented by Indonesia and Japan, according to chief economic minister Hatta Rajasa. He said here on Monday that Japan would first soon conduct a feasibility study and then design a master plan for the development of South Tangerang, which is situated in the Banten province, adjacent to the capital city of Jakarta. "NEDO from Japan would conduct a study soon for the development of a pilot project in Tangerang, as part of the smart city development program to be implemented in regions around Jakarta," the minister added. Hatta was in Japan - in the company of Industry Minister MS Hidayat, officials from various ministries, and members of the Indonesia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) - to discuss efforts to strengthen economic cooperation between the two countries at the 4th Indonesia-Japan Joint Economic Forum (IJ-JEF). He said he would follow up the plan with a memorandum of understanding. "By implementing the Smart Community Initiatives programme across the Metropolitan Priority Areas (MPA) in cooperation with Japan, we hope South Tangerang will become a satellite city around Jakarta with adequate infrastructure," Hatta stated. "MPA comprises nine areas," he noted. Indonesia and Japan have agreed to implement nine metropolitan city infrastructure development projects under the MPA scheme, Hatta pointed out. The MPA program is a cooperative effort between the two countries aimed at developing infrastructure in Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi. "�The total cost of the projects under the MPA scheme is expected to exceed US$20 billion and we expect the programme to be completed by 2013," Hatta stated. Meanwhile, Japan`s minister of economy, trade and industry, Yukio Edano, said his country had agreed to conduct a feasibility study, along with businessmen, in South Tangerang. "Both Indonesia and Japan have agreed to develop the infrastructure and we will start with a feasibility study on South Tangerang," he added.