PETALING JAYA, Dec 15 ― Cost-saving measures by Putrajaya resulted in a RM2 billion reduction from the projected cost for the Sungai Buloh-Kajang Line of the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) project, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

Najib, who launched the first section of Sungai Buloh-Kajang Line today, said the final bill for the SBK line of the ambitious public transportation project came in at RM21 billion, well under the targeted RM23 billion.

"Today, after all contracts have been awarded and works are almost done for the entire line, the actual construction cost of the project is about RM21 billion.

"This means we have succeeded in saving about RM2 billion from the targeted cost set by the government," he said at the Kwasa Damansara MRT station.

Najib also said that about 50 per cent of the total contract value was awarded to Bumiputera companies, exceeding the 43 per cent target.

Najib, who previously described the MRT project as a "game changer” and benchmark for all future plans, added that the big-scale project also never experienced any delays since it was first launched on July 8, 2011.

"I want to inform here that during the five years of construction, the target date never once changed.

"Other projects like schools, district hospitals construction have its delays, but this mammoth project is completed within its schedule. This is something that we can proud of,” he said.

The first phase of the SBK line will be operational tomorrow.

It involves 21km of elevated tracks and 12 stations between the Sungai Buloh station and the Semantan station in Bukit Damansara.

The 12 stations are Sungai Buloh, Kampung Selamat, Kwasa Damansara, Kwasa Sentral, Kota Damansara, Surian, Mutiara Damansara, Bandar Utama, Taman Tun Datuk Ismail, Phileo, Pusat Bandar Damansara and Semantan.

The second phase of the project from Semantan to Kajang will be operational in July.