Jakarta. Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa said Tuesday that the Jakarta–Bandung high-speed train, known as Whoosh, is more than just a transport project, aligning with former President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s view that it serves to drive regional economic growth.

“There’s some truth in what President Jokowi said. The Whoosh project carries a regional development mission,” Purbaya told reporters after attending an economists’ forum in Jakarta.

He noted that areas around the four main stations --Halim Perdanakusuma in Jakarta, Karawang, Padalarang, and Tegalluar in West Java-- have yet to reach their full economic potential.

“The regional economies around the stops should be developed further so local communities can truly benefit. That’s the part that still needs work,” he said.

Purbaya also said the high-speed rail project, once seen as a fiscal burden, no longer weighs on the state budget. “Its financing and debt obligations are now fully managed by [sovereign wealth fund] Danantara Indonesia,” he said.

His comments came a day after Jokowi publicly defended the $7.3 billion (Rp 121.38 trillion) project, saying the 142-kilometer railway was designed to ease decades-long congestion in Jakarta and Bandung, not to generate short-term profits. Jokowi described the project as a social investment that delivers wider benefits such as cleaner air, reduced emissions, and new growth centers.

“Public transport is not meant to make money; it’s a public service,” Jokowi said Monday in Solo, Central Java. “Its returns are in reduced traffic losses, higher productivity, and the creation of new economic hubs.”

The Whoosh, jointly operated by the Kereta Cepat Indonesia China (KCIC) consortium, connects Jakarta and Bandung in under 45 minutes. The project was financed mainly through loans from the China Development Bank (CDB), which covered 75 percent of its cost.

Jokowi’s remarks followed renewed criticism over the project’s debt load after years of cost overruns and delays. Indonesia currently pays about Rp 2 trillion a year in interest to China, exceeding the project’s estimated annual revenue of Rp 1.5 trillion.

Despite these challenges, Purbaya said the government remains confident the project will generate long-term economic benefits. “It’s not just about transportation; it’s about creating new growth centers,” he said.

The Whoosh line, inaugurated in October 2023, remains one of Jokowi’s most ambitious infrastructure legacies and Southeast Asia’s first high-speed train.