Airstrip on islet to be rebuilt

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

In trying to boost tourism in Kepulauan Seribu regency, the City Council has proposed the reconstruction of a 1,500-meter long airstrip on Panjang islet -- one of the islets in the northern part of the city.

Council speaker Ade Surapriatna said the project would cost around Rp 30 billion (US$3.3 million), which would come from the 2005 city budget.

"The islets have the potential to be developed as tourist resorts. Therefore, the council will propose the reconstruction of the airstrip as the first step to boost tourism there," Ade announced on Tuesday.

He said the existing airstrip had been poorly maintained and as a result needed repairing. Grass grows on many parts of the airstrip, which was constructed during the Soeharto era.

He believed the islets could generate a huge amount of revenue if the city administration developed them into prestigious resorts.

According to Ade, poor transportation facilities deterred people from visiting the islets, and developing transportation facilities would overcome this problem.

He expressed concern about frequent oil spills in the area, and expressed hope that government, particularly the local administration, would resolve the problem. "It will be homework for the next appointed regent," he added.

A huge oil spill was discovered in the waters surrounding Pramuka and Panggang islets last week. The city administration has hinted that one of several offshore rigs there could be the source of the oil spill.

The police have been investigating another oil spill in the regency for almost eight months. They have questioned several officials of an oil company as witnesses, but none have been named suspects.

More than one million tourists visit the city annually. There is no figure of tourists visiting Kepulauan Seribu regency, but the Jakarta Tourism Agency has reported that occupancy rates in hotels on the resort islands have plunged by 70 percent on average over the past eight months.

"I hope the administration will be serious in developing the islands. We must use the islands as sources of revenue," Ade said, adding that the administration should ensure that owners of islets and managements of tourist resorts pay their taxes.