Sutiyoso orders agency to take down billboards<\/p>\n
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Governor Sutiyoso ordered Jakarta Revenue Agency head Deden
\nSupriadi on Monday afternoon to remove billboards along the
\nSedyatmo toll road in Kapuk, North Jakarta, that were put up
\nwithout the agency's permission.<\/p>\n
The governor said he was \"very upset\" with the illegal felling
\nof mangrove trees in the protected forest alongside the toll road
\nto make way for the billboards, which were put up by the PT
\nRainbow Cipta Utama advertising agency.<\/p>\n
\"I cannot tolerate this violation because they cut down
\nmangrove trees in a protected forest,\" he said at City Hall. \"We
\nwill turn the case over to the police and the city agriculture
\nand forestry agency for further investigation and legal
\nproceedings.\"<\/p>\n
More than 240 trees, mostly mangrove trees, were cut down to
\nmake billboards in 10 locations along the toll road more visible
\nto passing motorists heading to and from Soekarno-Hatta
\nInternational Airport in Cengkareng, Tangerang.<\/p>\n
City spokesman Muhayat said PT Rainbow received a permit from
\ntoll road operator PT Jasa Marga to put up the billboards, but
\nshould also have obtained a permit from the city administration.<\/p>\n
He said PT Rainbow had earlier proposed the construction of
\nthe billboards, but was rebuffed by the administration because
\nthe location was within a protected forest.<\/p>\n
Agriculture and forestry agency head Peni Susanti told The
\nJakarta Post a joint team comprising police officers and agency
\nofficials had questioned two employees of PT Mandara Permai over
\nthe illegal felling of the trees. PT Mandara Permai is the
\ndeveloper of the Pantai Indah Kapuk housing estate, which is
\nlocated near to the area where the trees were cut down.<\/p>\n
\"The employees said they had seen several people in cars,
\nwhich were later identified as Jasa Marga vehicles, at the site.
\nThey thought the people were only cleaning up the area,\" she
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Peni said the team was scheduled to question employees from PT
\nJasa Marga on Thursday and PT Rainbow on Friday.<\/p>\n
The chairman of the Association of Outdoor Advertisement
\nAgencies of Jakarta, Didi Oetama Afandi, estimated that one of
\nthe billboards in question could bring in about Rp 140 million
\n(US$16,470) a year for Jasa Marga and Rp 200 million annually for
\nthe city's coffers.<\/p>",
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