Batik factory owners plead for one-month reprieve
Batik factory owners plead for one-month reprieve
JAKARTA (JP): A number of batik factory owners yesterday
pleaded with city authorities to let them operate for another
month, as the forced closures of the factories in Setiabudi
district, South Jakarta, continued.
The requests came on the heels of the exemptions of three
firms from a 1993 Gubernatorial Decree, citing pollution
problems, requiring the closure of all batik factories in the
district by April 1.
PT Windueka, PT ADRM and PT Batik Afri, the three biggest
factories in the area, have been given leave to operate for
another year.
In response to the request, Achmad Sari, head of the
government team supervising the closures, said he has no
authority to allow the factories to remain open.
"If you want to extend it, you can make a proposal to the
South Jakarta mayor," he told Suryani Sentosa, owner of a batik
factory on Jl. Karet Pedurenan.
As of yesterday afternoon, a team of officers from the South
Jakarta Law and Order Bureau, the police and the army had sealed
26 factories.
The government believes that the waste from the factories is
partly responsible for the pollution of the Krukut River, and
that the installation of waste treatment facilities at the
location is not possible.
Bogus officials
The team's visit to Purnama Tanuwijaya's factory yesterday
caused confusion with the owner. "I thought the team was the same
one which came here the other day," Purnama said.
He told The Jakarta Post that several people claiming to be
city officials came to him and offered to sell him an operations
extension for his factory.
"I'm afraid another team will come here again and ask for
money," he said.
A member of the team, who asked to remain anonymous, said
"It's their own fault if they gave money to bogus officials who
came and asked for money. It only confirms that they like bribing
officials."
The team found several factories were still operating
yesterday, despite strong warnings from the city administration.
Karlan, a member of the team, said as long as the activities
do not produce dangerous waste, they are still tolerable.
"Cutting and sewing clothes is all right."
He said the relocation of the batik factories is in line with
the 1985-2005 city spatial plan which has allocated the area for
residences and offices.
The factories are to be relocated to Jababeka Cikarang and
Lippo City in Bekasi, Karawang, Balaraja in Tangerang and Parung
Panjang in Bogor, but new facilities for the vast majority of the
factories are not yet ready. (11)