The Transportation Ministry announced that the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has agreed to provide Rp 9 trillion (US$1 billion) for the construction of the first stage of a 15.7-kilometer mass rapid transit (MRT) project linking Lebak Bulus in South Jakarta with the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta.

Deputy Transportation Minister Bambang Susantono confirmed that the Japanese agency had made its committment to finance the project. “Shovels will hit the ground in early 2012,” Bambang said on Saturday, as quoted by kompas.com.

He said work on the final design for the project would wrap up later this year.

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2011/10/24/japan-ready-pay-lebak-bulus-hi-mass-rapid-transit.html