Apartment permits withheld

JAKARTA (JP): The city administration is withholding building development permits for two towers of the Taman Rasuna Said apartments because the developer has not fulfilled barter agreement obligations.

Assistant to the City Secretary Prawoto Danoemihadjo said that PT Catur Swasakti Utama (CSU), the developer of the apartment complex on Jl. Rasuna Said, South Jakarta, has yet to build a school building in another area to replace the school building it demolished to make way for the construction of the two towers.

"The developer violated the agreement and regulations by demolishing the school building and by illegally appropriating city properties, so the city administration required it to build a new school in another area. But up until now it has not yet fulfilled its obligation," Prawoto told reporters over the weekend.

He said that last year PT CSU illegally appropriated state- owned property, including the school building.

Many prospective buyers of the apartments have complained to the developer about the delay in the construction of the project.

Prawoto said the city administration would not allow the developer to build the two apartment towers until it has fulfilled its barter obligations.

He explained that the developer had applied for 11 building permits to build 11 towers. The city administration granted nine of the permits, while the other two have been withheld due to the developer's failure to comply with the requirements set.

Currently, the developer, PT CSU is 100 percent controlled by Bakrie Investindo, a holding corporation of the widely diversified Bakrie business group. (yns)