City Council warns developer
JAKARTA (JP): The City Council wants the municipal administration to punish a land developer, PT Pacific Corponusa, for failing to build public facilities as the law requires.
Legislator Saud Rahman of the council's Commission D in charge of public works, told journalists yesterday that PT Pacific Corponusa has failed to honor its commitments to build low-cost apartments, to provide a place for street vendors and to furnish school equipment.
"It is obvious that this developer is not acting in good will on this matter. The city administration should take firm action to teach the firm a lesson," Saud said.
He also urged the city government to revoke the developer's building permit.
Also yesterday, the company's chief commissioner Andy Sofyan told The Jakarta Post that the firm plans to build the facilities in question.
"The development of the public facilities has only been delayed due to some technical problems," he said in a telephone interview.
PT Pacific Corponusa is constructing an apartment building and a hotel on a 19,462-square-meter plot of land on Jl. S. Parman, West Jakarta.
Under a 1990 gubernatorial decree, any developer that intends to appropriate land to build commercial facilities must set aside 20 percent of the land to build low-cost apartments and other public facilities.
Due to various reasons, including the objections of developers to building low-cost apartments in the same area as commercial projects, the gubernatorial decree was revised in 1992. It now allows developers to build low-cost apartments at locations other than the commercial project site.
Saud is seeking action because he said PT Pacific Corponusa has failed to take any action on the provision of public facilities although the construction of the project started in 1994.
"In a hearing with us a few days ago, the developer's executives said that it has not yet fulfilled its obligation because the city administration has not yet selected location for the low-cost apartments," Saud, who is deputy chairman of the United Development Party (PPP) faction in the council, said.
Saud added that the developer should have taken the initiative to select a location and to propose it to the city administration instead of just waiting for the municipality to decide on one.
Saud also said that the developer has not fulfilled the requirement that it provide equipment for the two state primary schools it has renovated in Mangga Dua Selatan, West Jakarta.
The municipal administration imposed the requirement as punishment for the firm's violation of a regulation in its appropriation of land for the hotel project.
He noted that the company also has yet to complete the facilities for street vendors it promised.
Andy Sofyan, the firm's commissioner, clarified yesterday that the company fully intends to fulfill all of its obligations.
"I have told the commission that we are going to fulfill all of the requirements, but that we must consult with the city administration first in choosing a suitable location for the low- cost apartments," Andy said.
He said the company will provide the equipment for the Mangga Dua schools in the near future. He guaranteed that the schools will be ready for use for the coming academic year which begins next month. (yns)