A shopping paradise?

With the rupiah still unstable, this may not seem like the most appropriate time to talk about turning Jakarta into a shopping paradise to rival Singapore, London, Hong Kong and other long-famed shopper destinations in the world.

Yet, this is exactly what Jakarta's administrators and private developers seem to have in mind.

As if to forestall events from slowing down or stopping the ambitious project, its launch is scheduled to take place tomorrow in a ceremony presided over by Jakarta's Governor Surjadi Soedirdja.

According to the plan, the city's new International Tourist and Shopping Belt, as the project is officially called, will occupy an area of 100 hectares on Jalan Dokter Satrio in Kuningan's "Golden Triangle" -- between Jl. Jenderal Sudirman and Jl. Rasuna Said in Central Jakarta.

The project is set to be completed in 10 years time at a current cost of Rp 10 trillion or about US$3.7 billion. Nine private investors have so far committed themselves to participate in the project.

When completed, Jakarta's new showcase tourist and shopping zone will have five grand shopping centers, 10 international- standard hotels, convention and exhibition centers, restaurants, apartments, office buildings, indoor and outdoor recreation centers, sidewalk cafes, art galleries and an assortment of tourist and public facilities.

One aspect of the new shopping district, which is missing from existing international hubs, is the promise of a pedestrian- friendly environment, including shelters and broad tree-shaded sidewalks.

The project, according to the head of the architecture team, will be a combination of several world-renowned avenues, such as Singapore's Orchard Road, Shanghai's Bund and the Champs-Elysees in Paris.

Far from being a glamor project, which the city could not really afford, the new shopping belt, according to Governor Surjadi, will help shape Jakarta into the country's nerve center for major services.

With more than 1.5 million foreign tourists expected to visit the capital in the coming decade, developers and city authorities see the project as a prospective money earner capable of competing with neighboring Singapore, which is said to be losing its shopping sparkle.

Critics, on the other hand, may say that even now the burgeoning of modern shopping centers and malls in Jakarta, during the past decade or so, has gnawed at the livelihood of an ever greater number of traditional market traders.

To this argument, the developers and city administrators say that a provision has been made for small traders to be allocated space in the new tourist and shopping zone.

This, of course, is welcome news. Aside from being humane, such a provision can surely add to the project's attraction. The presence of traditional market places and kakilima (roadside traders) have, after all, always been one of the city's attractions for visitors.

As for the city's modern shopping malls, their growing numbers and flourishing trade seems to be an unmistakable sign that Jakartans have already come to see them as natural fixtures of modern city life.

The indications seem to be that traditional and modern can indeed go hand in hand. Given earlier fears, that the existence of both would cause a growing social gap, this is fortunate indeed.

With increasing global links, Jakarta, as the country's center of administration, trade and commerce, deserves to have all the amenities necessary to live up to its reputation.