'Officials in Pondok Kopi sell state land illegally'<\/p>\n
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Residents of Pondok Kopi subdistrict in East Jakarta revealed on
\nFriday that several plots of land designated for public and
\nsocial facilities had been sold illegally by subdistrict
\nofficials.<\/p>\n
"The plots that total around 21,000 square meters are owned by
\nthe state, but why did the officials sell them illegally?"
\nquestioned M. Widayat, head of community unit 05 of Pondok Kopi
\nsubdistrict in Duren Sawit, East Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Widayat revealed that the plots of land had been sold at a
\nprice lower than their taxable property sale value (NJOP) without
\nnotifying the neighborhood unit chiefs or the community unit
\nchiefs.<\/p>\n
"I have a document that shows the plots were sold at only Rp
\n400,000 (US$46) per square meter, while the current NJOP of the
\nland is Rp 650,000," Widayat said, adding that the plots of land
\nspan from community unit 05 to community unit 09.<\/p>\n
According to a statement signed by the five community unit
\nchiefs, the residents also reported that the developer of a
\nhousing complex, PT Mas Naga Raya, whose land use permit (HGB)
\nexpired on Nov. 19, 2001, had failed to build social and public
\nfacilities.<\/p>\n
"As they failed to build the facilities, the residents have
\nhad to shoulder the cost of constructing them, including mosques,
\na church, sports grounds, and public parks on some of the land
\nwithout the contribution of a single rupiah from the developer or
\nthe city administration," the statement said.<\/p>\n
Other plots designated for public facilities were even
\noccupied by squatters, who pose a nuisance to local residents.
\n"Sometime brawls erupt due to various groups' trying to occupy
\nthe plots," it added.<\/p>\n
The residents filed a complaint with the East Jakarta mayor
\nand Jakarta governor two years ago, but they have received no
\nresponse to date.<\/p>\n
"That's why we lodged a complaint with the City Council
\nCommission D on development on June 14," Widayat said.<\/p>\n
The councillors, Widayat claimed, welcomed their report and
\npromised to facilitate a meeting with the city and mayoralty
\nadministrations as well as the developer.<\/p>\n
"We still hope to solve the problem amicably. But, if it
\ndoesn't work then we'll have to take other action, such as filing
\na class action suit, to regain the residents' rights to the use
\nof the land," he said.<\/p>\n
He added that the Foundation of the Indonesian Legal Aid
\nInstitute (YLBHI) would represent them.<\/p>\n
There are also 15 residents who have been unable to get land
\ncertificates for land they bought several years ago although they
\nhad already paid for the land.<\/p>\n
"I have paid off all my installments. I have also paid land
\nand property tax (PBB) for three consecutive years. But, why has
\nthe administration refused to issue my land certificate?" said
\nYap Nyuk Min, one of the 15 residents.<\/p>\n
Yap revealed that some officials at the municipal
\nadministration even asked him to pay a certain amount of money to
\nobtain the certificate.<\/p>\n
"How can I provide a huge amount of money for those corrupt
\nofficials, when I have been unemployed for the past three years?"
\nYap sighed.<\/p>\n
Yap was dismissed from a shipping company when the economic
\ncrisis hit the country in 1997. His family currently rely upon
\nfinancial support from relatives.<\/p>",
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