700 schools heavily damaged
TANGERANG (JP): At least 700 of a total of 987 state elementary school buildings in 26 districts of Tangerang regency are heavily damaged and need immediate renovation, an official said.
"The Tangerang administration can only allocate Rp 25.3 billion (US$2,976,471) from its annual budget this year for building renovation. With that sum, only 102 buildings can be renovated," head of Tangerang Educational Infrastructure Agency Harun Al-Rasyid told The Jakarta Post in an interview here on Tuesday.
Harun said such damage was caused by old age, poor quality of buildings, poor maintenance and natural causes like humidity, especially for school buildings along Tangerang's northern coastal area.
However, Harun expressed gratitude over the application of regional autonomy, which requires the regency administration to pay more attention to education problems in the area.
He stated that for the 2002 annual budget, 512 schools had asked the Agency for renovation. "After carrying out surveys, we selected 76 school buildings that needed total renovation and 262 that required partial renovation," he remarked. (41)
;JP;SIM; ANPAj..r.. Focus-Sarinah Sarinah provides scholarship JP/3/FOCUS
Sarinah offers scholarship
JAKARTA (JP): No less than 120 elementary and junior high school students will be offered scholarships for the current school year from PT Sarinah, the oldest department store in the country.
The store, known for its batik and handicrafts, is offering the scholarships in commemoration of its 39th anniversary and the country's 56th Independence Day anniversary, which concurrently fall on Aug. 17.
Sarinah, established on Aug. 17, 1962, was one of the four landmarks of the capital in the 1960s. It was built on the initiative of the country's first president, Sukarno, who also designed its logo. The other three landmarks were Hotel Indonesia, Senayan Sports Complex -- now called Bung Karno Sports Complex -- and the National Monument or Monas.
Sarinah is offering the scholarship to needy students living near the department store on Jl. Thamrin, Central Jakarta. The scholarship is in the form of school fees for the whole school year.
;JP;BNT; ANPAj..r.. Focus-bus-terminal Tangerang to have an integrated bus terminal JP/3/FOCUS
Tangerang to build bus terminal
Tangerang (JP): The Tangerang administration is scheduled to start construction of an integrated bus terminal in Poris Plawad district next month, an official said on Wednesday.
Tangerang Zoning Agency chairman Didi Achmadi Djamhir said that the Ministry of Finance was expected to approve the budget for the project later this month.
"The integrated bus terminal will be built on a seven hectare site and will cost Rp 23 billion (US$2.71 million)," Didi told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.
He said that the Tangerang administration had allocated a total of Rp 13 billion from its annual budget, while the outstanding balance would be obtained from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
Didi said the bus terminal was aimed at alleviating traffic jams in Kalideres, Cikokol and Kebon Nanas. "Once it is completed, it will be able to accommodate 170 intercity buses, 90 city buses and 106 public minivans," he said. (41)