Officials told not to hide zoning plans<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Vice President Try Sutrisno yesterday called on
\ngovernment officials to publicly expose national zoning plans in
\norder to avoid people manipulating the plans for personal profit.<\/p>\n
\"There shouldn't be any more concealment, something which can
\nbe and is often used to gain profit by certain elements of
\nsociety,\" he said as he opened a national convention on public
\nparticipation in zoning and urban development yesterday.<\/p>\n
He stressed in his speech the important role of government
\nofficials and centers of information in exposing and
\ndisseminating information on zoning plans.<\/p>\n
\"This openness is an important element in ensuring public
\nparticipation,\" he said. \"With clear information about the zoning
\nplans for their areas, we hope the public can anticipate and make
\nneeded adjustments in their development activities.\"<\/p>\n
The two-day national convention is being co-organized by the
\nAssociation of Indonesian Planners and the Center for Information
\nand Development Studies.<\/p>\n
According to the head of Center for Information and
\nDevelopment Studies' board of directors, Adi Sasono, some 300
\nparticipants from the academic, public and private sector are
\ntaking part in the convention.<\/p>\n
The House of Representatives passed the master zoning law in
\n1992 to offer better legal protection to land owners and to
\nensure that the environment be preserved. Previously, the absence
\nof the law gave rise to numerous land disputes, including those
\ncaused by the conversion of conservation areas into development
\nproject sites.<\/p>\n
Try yesterday described zoning as a \"consequence of all our
\nsuccess\" in developing the country over the past three decades.<\/p>\n
He explained that because industrial development had grown so
\nfast, the environment's ability to support such activities has
\nnaturally declined. \"This is why there's is a necessity to zone
\nareas for designated usages,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, Try warned, in the planning of the spatial
\nzoning, various factors must be carefully considered and
\ncoordinated.<\/p>\n
One example is the need to strike a balance between the
\ndevelopment of urban and rural areas, he said.<\/p>\n
\"If we fail to do this there will be a strong flow of
\nurbanization, which in the end will cause new problems,\" Try
\nremarked.<\/p>\n
Earlier Minister of Research and Technology B.J. Habibie also
\nnoted the importance of zoning given the growing Indonesian
\npopulation, which is expected to reach 216 million people by the
\nyear 2000. (mds)<\/p>",
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