Private parking operators threaten to sue government<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Operators of privately owned shopping centers
\nwarned on Wednesday that they would sue the city administration
\nif it went ahead with its plan to close down the city's private
\nparking lots for their failure to adjust their parking fees in
\ntandem with official fees by June 1.<\/p>\n
\"We'll file a lawsuit with the Jakarta State Administrative
\nCourt against the city administration if it insists on closing
\ndown the parking lots,\" said Stefanus Ridwan, chairman of the
\nJakarta Chapter of the Indonesian Association of Shopping Complex
\nManagement (APPBI).<\/p>\n
The city administration announced on Tuesday a plan to close
\nthe private parking lots, if the operators failed to adjust their
\nfees set by the administration as regulated in the City Bylaw No.
\n5\/1999 on Parking.<\/p>\n
Stefanus said the administration did not have the authority to
\nenforce the bylaw, calling the bylaw unlawful.<\/p>\n
\"The bylaw allows the city administration to regulate private
\nparking lots. However, it is against Government Regulation No.
\n20\/1997 on Provincial\/Mayoralty Retribution,\" he told The Jakarta
\nPost at his office.<\/p>\n
He said the government regulation prohibited the
\nadministration to \"interfere\" with management of private parking
\nlots.<\/p>\n
\"Article 3 of the government regulation rules that the
\nadministration manages parking lots which are owned and operated
\nby the administration, but not ones run by private parking
\noperators,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Stefanus said the administration should let the parking lot
\nmanagement be controlled by the market.<\/p>\n
\"It is not healthy if the government intervenes in the market,
\nsince it will lead to high costs, including illegal levies,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He said people would grab the advantages if the administration
\nlet the market mechanism prevail in the parking business.<\/p>\n
\"Indeed, some operators may set higher fees for parking, but
\nautomatically they will add additional facilities for the
\nconsumers' conveniences to win the competition among operators,\"
\nhe said, adding that it might include the placement of CCTVs
\n(Close Circuit Televisions) or air conditioners in the parking
\nlots.<\/p>\n
He accused the city administration of being inconsistent.<\/p>\n
\"We met city administration officials on Tuesday night, and
\nthey agreed to discuss the fees on Friday.<\/p>\n
\"But, city administration officials made a statement in the
\nmedia against the initial agreement,\" he said, while referring to
\nthe administration's threat to close the parking lots of
\ndisobedient private parking operators as of June 1.<\/p>\n
Assistant to City Secretary on Administrative Affairs, Ma'mun
\nAmin, said on Tuesday the administration postponed the deadline
\nfor the private parking operators so they could adjust their
\nparking tariff with the tariff set by the bylaw.<\/p>\n
The deadline was extended from May 1 to June 1.<\/p>\n
The ruling was issued in response to a statement by Deputy
\nGovernor for Economic and Finance Affairs Fauzi Alvi Yasin on
\nApril 24, that the administration wanted the parking operators in
\nprivate places to set parking rates at Rp 1,000 for the first
\nhour and Rp 1,000 for each following hour as of May 1.<\/p>\n
In obedience to the ruling, the Pasaraya shopping center in
\nSouth Jakarta's Blok M area has lowered its parking tariff since
\nMay 1.<\/p>\n
Previously, the shopping center set the parking tariff at Rp
\n2,000 for the first hour and Rp 1,000 for each following hour.<\/p>\n
\"We decided to follow the administration's ruling on April 24
\nand adjust the tariff,\" Maya Rahmayanti, Public Relations Manager
\nof the company, said. (asa)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/private-parking-operators-threaten-to-sue-government-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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