Bylaw blocks development of Jakarta Wholesale Center
Bylaw blocks development of Jakarta Wholesale Center
Damar Harsanto, Jakarta
The Jakarta administration is considering amending the
existing city bylaw on private markets, as the bylaw does not
support its plan to build the Jakarta Wholesale Center at a site
that was formerly part of the Melati dam in Central Jakarta.
Deputy Governor Fauzi Bowo said that several articles in Bylaw
No. 2/2002 were not applicable to what was happening in the
field.
"If we read the bylaw, there are several articles that
contradict each other. We need to interpret the bylaw according
to the field situation," Fauzi said on Tuesday.
He referred to an article that stipulates a private market
occupying 4,000 square meters of land must be built at least 500
meters to 2.5 kilometers away from the nearest traditional or
community market.
"But, I think, if the private market sells products that are
different from those sold at the other market, then, there should
be no problem," said Fauzi.
The Jakarta Wholesale Center will occupy 14.07 hectares of
land, and is located 400 meters away from Kebon Melati market,
800 meters from Kebon Jati market and one kilometer from Gandaria
market.
Tanah Abang market is known as the biggest textile market in
Southeast Asia. The planned wholesale center would also offer
textile products.
However, chairman of City Council Commission D for development
affairs, Koeswadi Soesilohardjo, said Fauzi's argument was
baseless.
"We (the City Council) would have no objection if the
administration revised the bylaw. But, in the meantime, the
administration must not deliberately violate the bylaw.
"They (administration officials) cannot make policies at
will," he asserted.
The city administration has repeatedly revised regulations, or
the city's master plan, to justify development projects.
Critics highlight the administration's decision to scrap green
areas to make way for the development of commercial and housing
areas.
For example, the water catchment area of Tanjung Duren Selatan
in West Jakarta is now the location of Taman Anggrek shopping
mall. Housing complexes Kelapa Gading and Pantai Indah Kapuk,
both in North Jakarta, were also supposed to be green areas.
The administration is reportedly planning to allow commercial
premises to be built in residential areas, like Kebayoran Baru in
South Jakarta.
Separately, Governor Sutiyoso has agreed to officiate the
ground-breaking ceremony for the Jakarta Wholesale Center, once
the developer is ready.
"I ask that people who do not understand the issue don't blow
it up. We have carefully examined the project, and so far we
believe that no regulation has been violated," he said.
Sutiyoso's claim is at odds with an earlier statement issued
by the Jakarta Environmental Management Agency, which has just
received a request for an environmental impact analysis (Amdal)
of the project from the developer. The agency said that it would
need at least four months to finish the analysis.