Beritabali.com reports news that Samvada Asia – a leading international consultant on public infrastructure projects – is suing the consortium named to lead the badly-needed Bali Subway Project (MRT BALI) – PT Bumi Indah Prima (BIP), confirming a growing concern that the MRT Project has stalled and its future is now in grave doubt.
Samvada Asia is said to be alleging a breach of contract by BIP on the massive MRT-Bali project, touted as a solution to severe traffic congestion on the Island.
These latest developments on the MRT Bali project follow a groundbreaking ceremony in September 2024 in Kuta, Bali. Since then, however, there have been little or no signs of progress that would signal construction has truly commenced on the first leg of the mass transit system.
Samvada Asia’s attorney, Hamdan Zoelva of the law firm Zoelva & Partners, stated that several local and international vendors—which employ hundreds of employees—had actually been working under directives issued by PT Bumi Indah Prima (BIP). However, PT BIP, owned by Budi Arsil and Anton Subowo, has allegedly defaulted on its obligations by failing to make payments, resulting in all work coming to a halt.
“Our Singapore-based client, Samvada Asia, along with five other local and international vendors, were instructed by PT BIP to conduct data intelligence studies, develop policy frameworks, conduct planning feasibility studies, and execute a number of key tasks for the Bali Subway project. However, after Anton Aditya Subowo and Budi Asril hired them, PT BIP has defaulted on its obligations and failed to make scheduled payments,” said Hamdan Zoelva, a former Chief Justice of the Indonesian Constitutional Court (MK), on Monday, 23 February 2026, in Jakarta.
Samvada Asia Founder and Managing Director, David Nugent, claims that between May 2024 and June 2025, his company, along with five other vendors, carried out various projects at the formal request of Anton Subowo and Budi Asril. This work included the development of Strategic & Political Advisory, Communications Infrastructure, Media & Public Affairs, and a high-sensitivity digital security system. The total contract value reached USD 7.4 million, or approximately IDR 125 billion.
Since January 2025, PT BIP reportedly committed to paying Samvada while claiming to have secured US$20 billion in funding for the BALI-MRT project. Accordingly, Samvada issued invoices for payment in May and September 2025. However, these payment obligations remain unpaid, resulting in losses for Samvada and other businesses in the region.
“We are furious and cannot believe how unprofessional Anton Subowo & Budi Asril have behaved. Especially since the work the vendors and we have completed has been used by PT BIP to successfully raise funds from Chinese investors,” said David.
Samvada Asia has now issued formal legal demands to PT BIP for payment twice. PT BIP has allegedly failed to respond to these warning demands.
“Due to this lack of resolution, we are taking legal action through a civil lawsuit,” said Hamdan Zoelva in his capacity as Samvada’s attorney.
Hamdan emphasized that this legal action was taken to achieve legal certainty and promote transparency in public infrastructure projects of great importance to the people of Bali.
Bali Subway Project Expected to Relieve Traffic Congestion
Traffic congestion in Bali, particularly in Denpasar and the regencies of Badung, Gianyar, and Tabanan (Sarbagita), is worsening, especially in tourist areas such as Sunset Road and Canggu. This situation was expected to be alleviated by the construction of the MRT-Bali Subway System, which was boldly announced in 2025 by the Bali Provincial Government and PT Sarana Bali Dwipa Jaya (SBDJ).
Although a traditional ngeruwak ritual and formal groundbreaking ceremony were held on September 4, 2024, the project has not yet made any meaningful progress, except that SBDJ appointed PT Bumi Indah Prima as the project’s main consortium.
Plans for the Bali Subway line (MRT-Bali) development plan are divided into four phases:
- First Phase: I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport–Kuta Central Parking–Seminyak–Berawa–Cemagi.
- Second Phase: I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport–Jimbaran–Udayana University–Nusa Dua.
- Third Phase: Kuta Central Parking–Sesetan–Renon–Sanur.
- Fourth Phase: Renon–Sukawati–Ubud.
That the Bali MRT project, with an estimated value of US$20 billion (Rp. 316 trillion), has now stalled raises fundamental questions among the public. Now, since the official groundbreaking is more than a year in the past, with no significant construction progress and no formal explanation from the government, the entire project has become both worrisome and problematic.
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