Authorities finish Kemang probe
Authorities finish Kemang probe
JAKARTA (JP): The administration has completed an
investigation into officials who have violated building permit
regulations in Kemang, South Jakarta, and will soon punish the
guilty ones.
However, the municipality will not reveal the identities of
the guilty officials, Governor Surjadi Soedirdja said yesterday.
"There's no need (to reveal the names)," he told reporters at
City Hall.
The most important thing was to show consistency in
implementing the city's spatial plan, he said.
"It should be understood by both the public and officials that
the city administration is determined to uphold the designated
use of land as stipulated in the spatial plan," Surjadi said.
The controversy surrounding Kemang was sparked after Surjadi
issued an instruction dated March 18 that all building permits in
the area, which is dominated by cafes, restaurants, furniture
shops, beauty parlors, clinics and duty free shops, were to be
checked.
According to city regulations, only 15 percent of buildings in
the area are allowed to be nonresidential.
But the administration data shows that 90 percent of Kemang's
buildings are no longer residential. Many businesses operate with
housing permits instead of commercial ones.
The governor took the blame for the change of designated use
of land saying that it was caused by "much abuse of temporary
permits" by city agencies and as a result of poor supervision.
The March instruction said no new permits would be issued
until everything was in order. Since then 18 establishments,
including cafes, restaurants and furniture shops, have been
closed.
Regulations stipulate that businesses need permits from the
city's tourism agency, the public order office, the development
supervision agency and the local mayoralty office.
On Tuesday, Deputy Governor of Administrative Affairs Idroes
said that the punishment of the officials was meant to
demonstrate the municipality's consistency in upholding city
regulations.
"The city is not only striving to put all buildings in Kemang
back in order, but also punish officials who caused the
disorder," Idroes said.
The terms of the punishment, he said, would depend on the
extend of the officials' involvement.
"Just wait for further progress," Idroes said.
Councilor Saud Rachman of the United Development Party (PPP)
supported the city's action.
"Action against undisciplined officials is necessary to avoid
the perception that the public is always to blame in cases
involving the abuse of permits," said Saud, a member of the
Council's Commission D for development affairs.
He also urged the municipality to announce the names of
establishments which have illegally run their businesses using
housing permits.
The administration is planning to move some Kemang businesses
to Kota in West Jakarta as part of its plan to help revitalize
Kota and to centralize tourism activities there. (ste)