Main Article Content
Abstract
Purpose— This study examines how foreign-debt financing of the Jakarta–Bandung High-Speed Rail (KCJB/Whoosh) project is associated with financing risk, potential fiscal exposure, and the financial resilience of participating state-owned enterprises (SOEs).
Research Methodology— The study uses a qualitative descriptive case-study design and thematic comparison of publicly available secondary financial, regulatory, institutional, and scholarly materials concerning developments during 2020–2026.
Results— The reviewed evidence indicates project-cost escalation from an initial USD 6.07 billion to approximately USD 7.27 billion, substantial reliance on external financing, and potential risk transmission through debt-servicing requirements, currency mismatch, corporate balance sheets, and public-support mechanisms. The legal authorization of fiscal support is distinguished from its actual use.
Research limitations/Implications— The documentary approach cannot independently establish current contractual repayment schedules, quantify contingent liabilities, or substitute for financial stress testing. The findings support transparent disclosure, careful allocation of financing responsibilities, and periodic evaluation of restructuring and foreign-exchange exposure.
Originality— The study offers an integrated interpretive account of how project-level financing pressures may develop into SOE and public-sector fiscal-risk exposure.
Keywords
Article Details

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
References
- Afifah, N. R. N., & Badaruddin, M. (2024). Potential Chinese Debt Trap in Infrastructure Development (Case Study of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway Project). Indonesian Journal of International Relations, 8(1), 198-222. https://doi.org/10.32787/ijir.v8i1.517
- Anguelov, D. (2021). Banking ‘development’: the geopolitical-economy of infrastructure financing. Area Development and Policy, 6(3), 271-295. https://doi.org/10.1080/23792949.2020.1799717
- ANTARA News. (2025). Indonesia's Whoosh train debt: Danantara, KAI explore rescue plan. https://en.antaranews.com/news/374889/indonesias-whoosh-train-debt-danantara-kai-explore-rescue-plan
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- Baerenbold, R. (2023). Reducing risks in megaprojects: The potential of reference class forecasting. Project Leadership and Society, 4, 100103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plas.2023.100103
- Baum, A., Hacknay, C., Medas, P., & Sy, M. (2024). Governance and state-owned enterprises: how costly is corruption? Economics of Governance, 25(2), 181-208. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10101-024-00311-1
- Cangiano, M., Anderson, B., Alier, M., Petrie, M., & Hemming, R. (2006). Public-private partnerships, government guarantees, and fiscal risk. International Monetary Fund. https://www.imf.org/en/publications/imf-special-issues/issues/2016/12/31/public-private-partnerships-government-guarantees-and-fiscal-risk-18587
- de Mello, L., & Ter-Minassian, T. (2024). Managing rising subnational fiscal risks (OECD Working Papers on Fiscal Federalism, No. 46). OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/58437ac8-en
- Doe, P. (2025). Infrastructure project cost overrun and schedule delay in Ghana: Is it an issue of resource misallocation or financial constraints? Project Leadership and Society, 6, 100188. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plas.2025.100188
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- Economides, G., Koliousi, G., Miaouli, N., & Philippopoulos, A. (2025). From debt arithmetic to fiscal sustainability and fiscal rules: Taking stock and policy lessons. The Journal of Economic Asymmetries, 31, e00393. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeca.2024.e00393
- Esperilla-Niño-de-Guzmán, Y. Y., Baeza-Muñoz, M. de los Á., Gálvez-Sánchez, F. J., & Molina-Moreno, V. (2024). Public-Private Partnership (PPP) in Road Infrastructure Projects: A Review of Evolution, Approaches, and Prospects. Sustainability, 16(4), 1430. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16041430
- Flyvbjerg, B., Ansar, A., Budzier, A., Buhl, S., Cantarelli, C., Garbuio, M., Glenting, C., Holm, M. S., Lovallo, D., Lunn, D., Molin, E., Rønnest, A., Stewart, A., & van Wee, B. (2018). Five things you should know about cost overrun. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 118, 174-190. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2018.07.013
- Han, Y., Mai, J., Zhang, F., & Luo, R. (2025). Leveraging external debt: Stimulate innovation by infrastructure development in Belt and Road countries. Economic Analysis and Policy, 86, 1214-1243. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eap.2025.04.031
- Ibrahim, R. (2025). Belt and Road Initiative Tiongkok di Indonesia: Studi Kasus Proyek Kereta Cepat Jakarta-Bandung. Ranah Research: Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Development, 7(3), 1660-1665. https://doi.org/10.38035/rrj.v7i3.1385
- Lee, C. L., Ahmad, R., Lee, W., Khalid, N., & Abdul Karim, Z. (2022). The financial sustainability of state-owned enterprises in an emerging economy. Economies, 10(10), 233. https://doi.org/10.3390/economies10100233
- Ligorio, L., Venturelli, A., & Caputo, F. (2024). Driving SDGs contribution: governance impact in state-owned vs. private companies’ CSR reporting. Social Responsibility Journal, 21(3), 451-472. https://doi.org/10.1108/SRJ-11-2023-0652
- Love, P. E. D., Ika, L. A., Matthews, J., & Fang, W. (2022). Curbing poor-quality in large-scale transport infrastructure projects. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 69(6), 3171-3183. https://doi.org/10.1109/TEM.2020.3031890
- Lu, Q., & Wilson, C. (2024). Infrastructure financing in Africa. Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, 91, 101954. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intfin.2024.101954
- McLeod, S. (2023). Rethinking public infrastructure megaproject performance: Theorizing alternative benefits, and the need for open science in project research. Project Leadership and Society, 4, 100080. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plas.2023.100080
- Meng, J., Ye, Z., & Wang, Y. (2024). Financing and investing in sustainable infrastructure: A review and research agenda. Sustainable Futures, 8, 100312. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sftr.2024.100312
- Nabiilah, R. A., & Sari, D. S. (2024). China’s debt trap in Indonesia: A case study of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Rail Project. Ilomata International Journal of Social Science, 5(1), 302-313. https://doi.org/10.61194/ijss.v5i1.1113
- Nugrahaningsih, W., Dewi, S. K., & Handayani, R. D. P. (2026). Legal analysis of the failed investment of the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail project: Ambition vs. reality. Ethos and Pragmatic Law Review, 2(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.69836/ethos.v2i1.179
- Rahmat, M. R. A. (2025). Financial Sustainability of KCIC Whoosh in the Ramp-Up Phase: A Narrative Review Based on IDX and Global HSR Benchmarks. Journal of Studies in Academic, Humanities, Research, and Innovation, 2(2), 168-178. https://doi.org/10.71305/sahri.v2i2.920
- Republic of Indonesia. (2021). Peraturan Presiden Republik Indonesia Nomor 93 Tahun 2021 tentang perubahan atas Peraturan Presiden Nomor 107 Tahun 2015 tentang percepatan penyelenggaraan prasarana dan sarana kereta cepat antara Jakarta dan Bandung. https://jdih.kemenkeu.go.id/dok/perpres-93-tahun-2021
- Safira, P. A. (2023). Leveraging financial statement audits for strategic business insights. Advances: Jurnal Ekonomi & Bisnis, 1(5), 280–291. https://doi.org/10.60079/ajeb.v1i5.242
- Setiawan, A., Hamka, H., Ridwan, W., Salsabila, F., & Zahidi, M. S. (2024). Indonesia’s Strategic Interest in High-Speed Rail Cooperation with China: Analyzing the Jakarta-Bandung Project Under Jokowi’s Infrastructure Vision. Global International Journal of Innovative Research, 2(12), 2834-2851.
- Tetama, A. R., Suharno, S., & Tyola, Y. N. (2022). Pembangunan Kereta Cepat Jakarta-Bandung: Memaknai Konsultasi Publik dan Partisipasi Masyarakat dalam Pengadaan Tanah. Widya Bhumi, 2(2), 136-151. https://doi.org/10.31292/wb.v2i2.41
- Yescombe, E. R., & Farquharson, E. (2018). Public-private partnerships for infrastructure: Principles of policy and finance. Butterworth-Heinemann.
- Ying, R., Shu, Y., Wang, X., & Wu, Q. (2025). Impact of non-state-owned shareholders’ governance on the earnings quality of state-owned enterprises. Finance Research Letters, 73, 106659. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.frl.2024.106659
References
Afifah, N. R. N., & Badaruddin, M. (2024). Potential Chinese Debt Trap in Infrastructure Development (Case Study of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway Project). Indonesian Journal of International Relations, 8(1), 198-222. https://doi.org/10.32787/ijir.v8i1.517
Anguelov, D. (2021). Banking ‘development’: the geopolitical-economy of infrastructure financing. Area Development and Policy, 6(3), 271-295. https://doi.org/10.1080/23792949.2020.1799717
ANTARA News. (2025). Indonesia's Whoosh train debt: Danantara, KAI explore rescue plan. https://en.antaranews.com/news/374889/indonesias-whoosh-train-debt-danantara-kai-explore-rescue-plan
ANTARA News. (2026, April 23). Danantara sebut skema restrukturisasi Whoosh dalam tahap penyempurnaan. https://www.antaranews.com/berita/5538997/danantara-sebut-skema-restrukturisasi-whoosh-dalam-tahap-penyempurnaan
Baerenbold, R. (2023). Reducing risks in megaprojects: The potential of reference class forecasting. Project Leadership and Society, 4, 100103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plas.2023.100103
Baum, A., Hacknay, C., Medas, P., & Sy, M. (2024). Governance and state-owned enterprises: how costly is corruption? Economics of Governance, 25(2), 181-208. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10101-024-00311-1
Cangiano, M., Anderson, B., Alier, M., Petrie, M., & Hemming, R. (2006). Public-private partnerships, government guarantees, and fiscal risk. International Monetary Fund. https://www.imf.org/en/publications/imf-special-issues/issues/2016/12/31/public-private-partnerships-government-guarantees-and-fiscal-risk-18587
de Mello, L., & Ter-Minassian, T. (2024). Managing rising subnational fiscal risks (OECD Working Papers on Fiscal Federalism, No. 46). OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/58437ac8-en
Doe, P. (2025). Infrastructure project cost overrun and schedule delay in Ghana: Is it an issue of resource misallocation or financial constraints? Project Leadership and Society, 6, 100188. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plas.2025.100188
D’Orazio, P. (2025). Addressing climate risks through fiscal policy in emerging and developing economies: What do we know and what lies ahead? Energy Research & Social Science, 119, 103852. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2024.103852
Economides, G., Koliousi, G., Miaouli, N., & Philippopoulos, A. (2025). From debt arithmetic to fiscal sustainability and fiscal rules: Taking stock and policy lessons. The Journal of Economic Asymmetries, 31, e00393. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeca.2024.e00393
Esperilla-Niño-de-Guzmán, Y. Y., Baeza-Muñoz, M. de los Á., Gálvez-Sánchez, F. J., & Molina-Moreno, V. (2024). Public-Private Partnership (PPP) in Road Infrastructure Projects: A Review of Evolution, Approaches, and Prospects. Sustainability, 16(4), 1430. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16041430
Flyvbjerg, B., Ansar, A., Budzier, A., Buhl, S., Cantarelli, C., Garbuio, M., Glenting, C., Holm, M. S., Lovallo, D., Lunn, D., Molin, E., Rønnest, A., Stewart, A., & van Wee, B. (2018). Five things you should know about cost overrun. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 118, 174-190. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2018.07.013
Han, Y., Mai, J., Zhang, F., & Luo, R. (2025). Leveraging external debt: Stimulate innovation by infrastructure development in Belt and Road countries. Economic Analysis and Policy, 86, 1214-1243. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eap.2025.04.031
Ibrahim, R. (2025). Belt and Road Initiative Tiongkok di Indonesia: Studi Kasus Proyek Kereta Cepat Jakarta-Bandung. Ranah Research: Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Development, 7(3), 1660-1665. https://doi.org/10.38035/rrj.v7i3.1385
Lee, C. L., Ahmad, R., Lee, W., Khalid, N., & Abdul Karim, Z. (2022). The financial sustainability of state-owned enterprises in an emerging economy. Economies, 10(10), 233. https://doi.org/10.3390/economies10100233
Ligorio, L., Venturelli, A., & Caputo, F. (2024). Driving SDGs contribution: governance impact in state-owned vs. private companies’ CSR reporting. Social Responsibility Journal, 21(3), 451-472. https://doi.org/10.1108/SRJ-11-2023-0652
Love, P. E. D., Ika, L. A., Matthews, J., & Fang, W. (2022). Curbing poor-quality in large-scale transport infrastructure projects. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 69(6), 3171-3183. https://doi.org/10.1109/TEM.2020.3031890
Lu, Q., & Wilson, C. (2024). Infrastructure financing in Africa. Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, 91, 101954. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intfin.2024.101954
McLeod, S. (2023). Rethinking public infrastructure megaproject performance: Theorizing alternative benefits, and the need for open science in project research. Project Leadership and Society, 4, 100080. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plas.2023.100080
Meng, J., Ye, Z., & Wang, Y. (2024). Financing and investing in sustainable infrastructure: A review and research agenda. Sustainable Futures, 8, 100312. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sftr.2024.100312
Nabiilah, R. A., & Sari, D. S. (2024). China’s debt trap in Indonesia: A case study of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Rail Project. Ilomata International Journal of Social Science, 5(1), 302-313. https://doi.org/10.61194/ijss.v5i1.1113
Nugrahaningsih, W., Dewi, S. K., & Handayani, R. D. P. (2026). Legal analysis of the failed investment of the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail project: Ambition vs. reality. Ethos and Pragmatic Law Review, 2(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.69836/ethos.v2i1.179
Rahmat, M. R. A. (2025). Financial Sustainability of KCIC Whoosh in the Ramp-Up Phase: A Narrative Review Based on IDX and Global HSR Benchmarks. Journal of Studies in Academic, Humanities, Research, and Innovation, 2(2), 168-178. https://doi.org/10.71305/sahri.v2i2.920
Republic of Indonesia. (2021). Peraturan Presiden Republik Indonesia Nomor 93 Tahun 2021 tentang perubahan atas Peraturan Presiden Nomor 107 Tahun 2015 tentang percepatan penyelenggaraan prasarana dan sarana kereta cepat antara Jakarta dan Bandung. https://jdih.kemenkeu.go.id/dok/perpres-93-tahun-2021
Safira, P. A. (2023). Leveraging financial statement audits for strategic business insights. Advances: Jurnal Ekonomi & Bisnis, 1(5), 280–291. https://doi.org/10.60079/ajeb.v1i5.242
Setiawan, A., Hamka, H., Ridwan, W., Salsabila, F., & Zahidi, M. S. (2024). Indonesia’s Strategic Interest in High-Speed Rail Cooperation with China: Analyzing the Jakarta-Bandung Project Under Jokowi’s Infrastructure Vision. Global International Journal of Innovative Research, 2(12), 2834-2851.
Tetama, A. R., Suharno, S., & Tyola, Y. N. (2022). Pembangunan Kereta Cepat Jakarta-Bandung: Memaknai Konsultasi Publik dan Partisipasi Masyarakat dalam Pengadaan Tanah. Widya Bhumi, 2(2), 136-151. https://doi.org/10.31292/wb.v2i2.41
Yescombe, E. R., & Farquharson, E. (2018). Public-private partnerships for infrastructure: Principles of policy and finance. Butterworth-Heinemann.
Ying, R., Shu, Y., Wang, X., & Wu, Q. (2025). Impact of non-state-owned shareholders’ governance on the earnings quality of state-owned enterprises. Finance Research Letters, 73, 106659. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.frl.2024.106659