Infrastructure cooperation with Australia extended until June 2026

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The effective period of the Indonesia-Australia Cooperation in Infrastructure (KIAT) Program has been extended to June of 2026, Indonesian Minister of Public Works and Public Housing Basuki Hadimuljono stated.

"We have agreed to extend the effective period of the KIAT Program to June 2026. Under this program, we have been focusing on cooperation in the water and sanitation sectors, transportation, and infrastructure funding," he noted in a statement received from his office here on Thursday.

The minister made the statement in connection with his visit to Melbourne, Australia, while accompanying President Joko Widodo to bilateral meetings with prime ministers of Australia, New Zealand, and Cambodia on Tuesday (March 5).

According to Hadimuljono, Indonesia and Australia had earlier agreed to collaborate to develop infrastructure through the KIAT Program that was effective until June 30, 2022, with a cooperation value totaling AUD150 million.

He remarked that the governments of Indonesia and Australia were also collaborating to develop a System of Integrated Domestic Waste Water Management in Palembang, South Sumatra, that was inaugurated by President Widodo on October 26 last year.

Using a grant fund of AUD67 million provided by Australia, the Indonesian government has built a wastewater management installation and pump station that can serve 120 thousand people, with a capacity of 20 thousand cubic meters per day.

"Under another cooperation scheme with the same investment value, the Indonesian government developed the required pipe networks," he added.

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In addition to Hadimuljono, State Secretary Minister Pratikno, Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi, and Economic Affairs Coordinating Airlangga Hartarto also accompanied President Widodo to the bilateral meetings in Australia.

The bilateral meetings took place on the sidelines of the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit that was held to commemorate the 50th anniversary of partnership between the regional bloc and the country.