Municipality urged to be transparent on spatial plan<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The municipality must give the public access to
\ndetailed information on projects when it releases the reviewed
\nspatial plan, a property analyst said Saturday.<\/p>\n
The chairman of the Center for Indonesian Property Study,
\nPanangian Simanungkalit, said that new spatial plans and the
\nreviewed plan must be drafted in a transparent manner to prevent
\nprotests by those whose property would be affected by projects.<\/p>\n
Panangian was responding to a recent official statement that
\nthe Manggarai integrated transportation project and other mega
\nprojects would be included in the reviewed 1985-2005 spatial
\nplan.<\/p>\n
A detailed spatial plan would let people know what kind of
\nprojects would occur locally and when they would start, he said.<\/p>\n
The public should have access to information on the exact
\nlocations of projects, the size of sites and the latest property
\nprices.<\/p>\n
The price of land in Greater Jakarta has been rising
\nuncontrollably, mostly driven by speculators and brokers who have
\ninside information on project plans, while local property owners
\nknow nothing about them. Officials in charge of the spatial plan
\nhave been accused of leaking information.<\/p>\n
Low prices<\/p>\n
Speculators and brokers often entice locals to sell land at
\nlow prices, and then sell it to developers at high prices.<\/p>\n
\"Such practices were unhealthy and unfair. Openness and
\ntransparency in the latest spatial plan would help residents face
\nland brokers and speculators,\" Panangian told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
The administration would gain public support if it provided
\nthe public with detailed information on projects, he said.<\/p>\n
\"Public support for projects, especially big ones like the
\nManggarai bus terminal, is vital. The municipality should have
\nlearnt from disputes arising over land appropriation, when land
\nowners have demanded higher compensation,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said that people usually did not care whether projects
\nwould be included in the spatial plan or not, \"They just don't
\nwant projects to disadvantage or harm them.\"<\/p>\n
Panangian said the authorities should tell people how they
\ncould benefit from projects. \"The public will support the
\nprojects as soon as they know they will benefit from the
\nprojects.\"<\/p>\n
He called on developers of mega projects, like the Manggarai
\nterminal, the subway and the three-tier road, to accommodate the
\nneeds of middle-income and poor people. They could do this by
\nbuilding cheap apartments.<\/p>\n
Consortium chief Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana proposed the plan to
\nturn the Manggarai bus terminal into an 124-hectare integrated
\nterminal, surrounded by a commercial center and apartments, to
\nPresident Soeharto in 1994. Minister of Transportation Haryanto
\nDhanutirto attended the presentation.<\/p>\n
Haryanto said the existing terminal would be turned into a
\nfour-story station to service 22 tracks, four underground express
\ntrains, intercity and city buses, minibuses and taxis.<\/p>\n
The project will affect at least 4,000 families living on a
\n54-hectare site around the existing terminal.<\/p>\n
Other planned mega projects include the 14.5-kilometer subway
\nfrom Blok M, South Jakarta to Kota in West Jakarta and the three-
\ntiered road, to include an elevated toll road and an elevated
\nrailway from Bintaro, South Jakarta, to Kota. (ste)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/municipality-urged-to-be-transparent-on-spatial-plan-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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